After Tomorrow
by ALiC.P
Summary: NOT Inu/Sess yaoi. Post-manga. Inuyasha's been trying to mend his relationship with Sesshomaru, but after confronting him Sesshomaru says "You would've liked them...and they you" -this "them" having been their father's family. Leaving Inuyasha longing for that family he never had, he wonders what they would've been like... Would they really have liked him? A review would be nice :)
1. Chapter 1

**It's after the end of the manga, after The Last Act or Kanketsu-hen, of the last chapter, the last episode – "Tomorrow." Naraku and all his carnations dead; Miroku and Sango, Inuyasha and Kagome wed; Miroku and Sango have twins – two girls and a baby boy; Shippō's training, Kohaku too; Kagome's graduated high school; Sesshōmaru has two arms again and Rin stays with Kaede, and he visits her; Kikyō is at peace at last; and according to The Final Act, Kōga married Ayame. **

• _Italicized= thoughts _• *within asterisks= sound effects* •^^Within these= flashback^^  
>•"-chan"= used to express endearment, mostly toward girls. Also used for little boys, pets, even lovers; sense of childish cuteness; like English "-y-ie" •"-sama"= confers great respect; like "Lord/Lady"  
>• Onii-san= Big Brother<p>

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 1: Tiichi<p>

* * *

><p>Inuyasha sits cross-legged, his back leaning against the well, his eyes closed. It's early winter.<p>

"I thought she had already come back."

Inuyasha's ear twitches as he opens an eye. Sesshōmaru stands there looking at him. He opens both eyes and sits up, "She has a family on the other side you know."

"And you wait for her to return like a good obedient pet," he turns his face away, "How degrading," Sesshōmaru walks away toward the village.

"Keh! You're one to talk; you're a good obedient pet yourself visiting so often."

Sesshōmaru stops.

"You came to visit more often than I came to check on the well to see if Kagome had returned!"

Sesshōmaru turns his head and just looks at him. Inuyasha smiles victoriously.

"Aren't you going to attempt to 'talk' with me today?" Sesshōmaru coolly asks.

Inuyasha's smirk dissolves away and he quickly turns his head, "Sh-shut up…"

Now Sesshōmaru smirks, "Hmph" then continues on his way.

"Attempt to 'talk'?"

Inuyasha's eyes snap open and he turns around quickly. Sesshōmaru's gone.  
>A hand comes up from the well grasping its edge, then a yellow backpack gets thrown over, and then the rest of Kagome appears dressed in modern clothing, "What did Onii-san mean by that?"<p>

Inuyasha flinches back, his face one of horror.

"What?"

"Please… *twitch twitch* Kagome, stop… *twitch* calling him that…! *twitch* It sounds soo wrong!" *Twitch*

She sits at the edge of the well pouting, "So what did he mean by 'attempt to talk with me today?' then?"

He blushes, quickly stands up, "That's none of your damn business!"

"Mm?"

Inuyasha picks up Kagome's bag and begins to walk away, "Let's go."

She stares at him- _What did he mean by that? Has Inuyasha been trying to fix their relationship?_

~~In the village~~

Kagome's changed into her priestess/miko clothing and in Kaede's hut she speaks with the gang; Inuyasha's on the roof.

"You really think so, Kagome-chan?"

"Yeah. Did you guys see Inuyasha try to get along with Sesshōmaru?"

"Well… they haven't had any 'duels to the death.'" Miroku says with his hand on his chin.

"Sesshōmaru just gets close to the village and then he and Rin usually go out for a walk after that," buts in Shippō who hops onto Kagome to escape the twins.

"Slay! Slay!"

Kagome pats their heads, then looks up, "It's okay Inuyasha!"

*Fwump!*  
>The door screen moves, "Can you guys just shut up about me?"<p>

Miroku, holding his boy, says, "Inuyasha, there's nothing wrong with you wishing to have a closer bond with your brother."

"Yeah, it's ok – great actually."

"Sesshōmaru has a non-violent bond with Rin, it'd only be natural for you to grow a bit jealous of that and want to have one your own with him," Sango states.

Inuyasha opens the door, "N-now that's going way too far!" he's blushing. While turning away, "Damn, you guys are annoying!" he leaves.

"You really think that Sango?" Shippō asks.

"It is a possibility. I mean he's been visiting Rin for a long time now."

Then Kagome bursts in, "Maybe Sesshōmaru comes to visit Inuyasha too!"

Silence…

Then Miroku, "I highly doubt that."

"Probably."

*sweatdrop* "Yeah…"

"It's a nice thought though."

~~Meanwhile in the forest~~

Sesshōmaru walks slowly and Rin hangs from his back, her arms around his neck. She puts her face to the left side of his neck, eyes closed. He glances at her and then carefully leans his head to the left until his cheek rests on the top of her head, half closing his eyes.

It took quite a long time to slowly get to that point: to let her be so close, hold his hand, cling to him and even longer still until he returned the affection. First with his hand on her cheek, a pat to the head, holding her, a nuzzle maybe – well… as long as no one is looking.

Rin opens her eyes and tries to see his face but then she decides to cuddle into him more, but as she does the little ponytail on top of her head frees itself from being pressed and proceeds to tickle at Sesshōmaru's nose.

His eyes open and he lifts his head, "Rin."

"Yes, Lord Sesshōmaru?" she says muffled.

He kneels down, "I'm going to be leaving now. Go back to the village."

She opens her eyes, lifting her head up, "Awww…. Nn, okay," she lets go, and then Sesshōmaru rises back up.

They look at each other for a moment, and Rin smiles brightly, "Goodbye, Sesshōmaru-sama!" and then prances away.

He takes a few steps until he's sure that she's at the village.

"I'm surprised that you let her do that, let alone return the affection."

"So you do want to and attempt to 'talk' with me today, eh, little brother?"

Inuyasha jumps down from a tree behind Sesshōmaru. For many months now, when Sesshōmaru brought Rin to the village, even before that, at least since Naraku died, Inuyasha had been attempting to have 'talks' with his brother – a conversation with him. Inuyasha always tried to start the conversation, but Sesshōmaru kept his answers clipped. It was frustrating, but Inuyasha continued his attempts, and right now continues to do so, or at least try.

"Well? What are you going to ask?"

Inuyasha remembers what Sango said, about being jealous of how Sesshōmaru treats Rin, and remembers what he has just seen.

"What do you have against me?"

Sesshōmaru continues to keep his back toward Inuyasha.

No answer.

"It can't be that I have human blood – Rin's all human, so what is it?"

Like a statue, he neither moves nor responds.

Inuyasha's face contorts into an expression of frustration and… anguish.  
>"Answer me!"<p>

"Why does this bother you so?"

Inuyasha stares half-surprised, "I…" he thinks.  
>In his mind begin to flash images: of Kagome and her little brother Sota, of Sango and her little brother Kohaku, even of Kikyō and Kaede way back when, and then of himself and Sesshōmaru…<br>In the grips of battle, his own older brother's hand choking him, all of their confrontations and contrasts it with how all of the former protected and loved their younger siblings, including Sesshōmaru and Rin…  
>^^ "<em>Onii-san, please! Don't do this! – you can't! Please… don't leave me all alone…<em>" ^^

Inuyasha's eyes shut, quivering.

"Inuyasha."

He half opens his eyes, then more solemnly, "I don't know… maybe it's that human heart I have that wants this… but I don't think that it's just me who wants 'us' to get better."

"Huh, are you suggesting that I do as well?"

"You do! Otherwise…"

"What?"

"Otherwise… why would you even bother to stick around when I tried to talk with you? If you really didn't want this to work out, then you should've left every time I tried! But you didn't…"

A pause.

Inuyasha takes a few breaths.

Sesshōmaru turns his head slightly toward Inuyasha, "You're right."

Inuyasha's eyes widen, he opens his mouth to speak but Sesshōmaru continues, "I should have left," and with that sentence he took a step, and when his other foot touched the ground, he was gone. A white blur.

Inuyasha's hair stands, he bites his lower lip – that's it. That is **it**. "You bastard!" Inuyasha speeds off as fast as he possibly can to catch up to Sesshōmaru, "**Come back here!**"

He sees something white before him off in the distance.

"Damn him – how dare he? How dare he!" Inuyasha musters his strength to move faster and as he does he draws Tetsusaiga. Inuyasha glares – never has he been so, been so… _upset_ with Sesshōmaru.

"Adamant Barrage!"

Sesshōmaru turns to see a blinding white light… with sharp crystalline spears emerging from it…

A large portion of trees is demolished; the birds fly away frantically from the canopies as the trees come down lifting soil to the air as if it were smoke, and then the thuds. The dust clears. Sesshōmaru dodged it… mostly.

He stands at the far right reaches of the destruction. Blood drips. He didn't expect Inuyasha to attack; less did he expect that the Adamant Barrage could possess such a range of attack. The technique did not have such wide and far range like that before.

With his right arm he plants Tenseiga into the ground to keep himself standing. His left side: his cheek was sliced, there's a spear lodged into his left shoulder blade with the tip coming out on the other side. Blood flows down his arm. One broke his armor slashing his side, and another is lodged into the back of his thigh above the knee. He lets out a long breath.

Inuyasha finally catches up out of breath.

"I didn't think that you were this desperate to talk with me…"

Inuyasha gets closer, "I didn't think that you were this desperate to avoid talking with me."

Sesshōmaru smirks as Inuyasha sheathes his sword, and then he looks at his younger brother.

*_Skurlk_* Inuyasha takes out the spear from his shoulder and then from his leg. Sesshōmaru could swear that when he pulled them out, he did so twisting it into his wound, making it wider, more painful, as he, almost slowly, ripped them out.

"You didn't leave me much choice."

Sesshōmaru's breath shakes, and he grips Tenseiga harder.

"Come on," Inuyasha puts his brother's right arm around his shoulder and wraps his left arm around Sesshōmaru. For a moment they don't move.

Have they ever been this physically close to one another – an arm around the other?

Inuyasha begins to walk and Sesshōmaru limps with him until they reach a more wooded area, then Inuyasha sits his brother down against a tree.

What to say now?

Sesshōmaru would like to comment how his little brother, who is supposed to be the more compassionate one here, made him walk such a considerable amount more than necessary that he made his wounds, already worsened by Inuyasha's rather cruel tearing of the spears from his body, even worse still.

Inuyasha sits next to him, looks over at Sesshōmaru, and sees that he's staring back, waiting.

"What do you have against me, anyway?"

Sesshōmaru seems about to say something, then pauses to think of how to compose his answer, "Do you remember how earlier you said it couldn't be because of your human blood? …That's not… entirely correct."

"What-?"

"You and your mother… are why father died."

"And you blame us for it? But how-! How can you blame me for that – I don't even remember the Old Man's face, you can't-"

"I'm aware of that."

Inuyasha silences.

"The fact that you have human blood in your veins… is an… _irritating_ idea, but it's more so because of the fact that your human blood is that of that **woman** that's really…" he cuts off.

The way he said 'that woman'… he, he hates her?

"You… you're like this to me because I'm _my mother_'s child, and you blame her for Dad's death…?"

Sesshōmaru glances at him and seems to give a slight nod.

"Th-that's why?"

"Mostly…"

"So what's the rest?"

"You don't know anything," he says this in a firmer tone.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Inuyasha asks somewhat agitated.

With more firmness he continues, "You don't know **anything**: about what happened, why you are alive, why you even still exist. You **ignorantly **jump around unaware – just like _your mother_," he said each word with increasing bitterness, ending it with contempt.

Inuyasha looks away, "…I see."

Silence.

"Sesshōmaru," Inuyasha looks at him with some level of happiness, "Why don't… why don't you help me… _understand_?"

Sesshōmaru begins to half close his eyes and looks ahead. The loss of blood is getting to him; it won't be long till he closes his eyes. He sees that and so asks him one more thing.

"Dad… had a family right?"

"Everyone's gone."

Inuyasha's eyes widen – _Everyone in our family is __dead__?"_

Sesshōmaru's eyes droop, "They died a long time ago… it's just you and me…"

"Wh-what was our family like?"

"You would have liked them…"

Inuyasha stares at Sesshōmaru whose eyes give in and close, "…and they you…"

He's out. He looks at him for a long time. _They would've liked me?_  
>Inuyasha looks up at the sky. The sun's setting and as he watches the day turn to night he can't help but wonder about this family… about this family that would've liked his half-demon self. Inuyasha closes his eyes for an instant and he tries to picture it: white hair, yellow eyes – smiles… love, but that image is broken by those with dark hair and dark eyes who looked down on him with a sneer… with disgust.<p>

He opens his eyes. As he lifts his brother onto his back, he tries to remold in his mind the faces of that human family – if they could be called that – of those that looked at him with disgust, into the faces of his dearly departed demon family, who perhaps would've instead looked at him with love.  
>But that never was and certainly can never be…<br>^^"Everyone's gone…"^^

Still… today was progress, right? Maybe now they can get along a bit better, maybe he can still have that with the only member of his demon family left. It would be nice though…

It'd be nice if he had memories of a family who was more like himself, one that loved him.

Inuyasha looks up at the emerging stars and sees one fall through the sky, then vanish.

Too bad it's only a wish.

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>


	2. Chapter 2

• Check Previous  
>• Okaa-san= "Mother" • Otō-san= "Father" • Ofukuro= informal form of "mother" • Oyaji= informal form of "father" like saying "old man"<p>

* * *

><p>***Forgive me for the length<p>

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 2: Taachi<p>

* * *

><p>Inuyasha did not take Sesshōmaru to the village, he didn't take him to where Jaken was either. He found a nice area of the woods and set him down, waited until sunrise by his side.<p>

Sesshōmaru awoke, sore, and in pain, then he turned toward Inuyasha.  
>Inuyasha smiled gently, his ears perking up.<br>Sesshōmaru's eyes narrowed, his nose wrinkled, and he turned his face away from his little brother.

"Leave."

Inuyasha, it could be seen on his face how his heart sank, "But..."

He didn't answer. He didn't look at him.

Inuyasha grimaced, "Fine," he stood up, "Lie here **alone**," and he left, returning back to the village.

Eventually Sesshōmaru healed and went his own way.

He thought they had made progress, but it seemed now that it only created more tension.

When Sesshōmaru would visit Rin, Inuyasha no longer went out to try and have 'talks' with Sesshōmaru. Sesshōmaru would always turn his head away from Inuyasha. Now that he admitted those thing, he couldn't pretend like he didn't say what he did, he couldn't pretend like he didn't mean it.

And that's how things went. They became very quiet, they didn't even bother to argue with each other.

Maybe he shouldn't have confronted him like that...

* * *

><p>~~Near the end of winter~~<p>

Winter's not quite over. It's still cool and dark. The trees haven't bloomed yet. End of February, beginning of March perhaps?

Inuyasha would rather not say this aloud, but when Naraku was around, causing destruction, sicking his minions on them, there was action! Things were exciting and dramatic: life and death; love and hate; sorrow and victory – battles! Stuff was happening! Since he's been destroyed, well… things got _boring_. It was nice at first, being able to relax but as time passed Inuyasha thought that things were becoming slow and dull.

But something finally happened again! Something big enough that the whole Inuyasha-gang had to be called back into action: Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Kohaku, Kilala, Shippō and even Sango. (They left the kids in the care of Kaede and some helpful admiring-villagers).

They defeated the threat and are now returning to the village walking rather calmly but nonetheless victorious. Sango and Kohaku are in Demon-Slayer gear. It's rather a foggy morning. They decide to stop and eat something, but Inuyasha decides not to.

Nah, it couldn't be… has to be his imagination. Has to be… right?

"Kagome?"

"Yeah?"

"C-can you come with me for a sec?"

"Sure. Is something wrong?"

"Just, come with me."

"Okay…" she looks at the rest who aren't sure either. Kagome walks with him and when they're far enough, she asks, "What's going on?"

"I, I don't know… Kagome, I swear, it's my, my mother's scent…"

"How? She's-"

"I know. That's why I wanted you to come with me: to make sure it's not just a trick."

"You mean like the Un-Mother, and Sesshōmaru…?"

"Yeah…"

They come across a hill and a little farther down they see a woman with long black hair, dressed in many robes. She turns around – it's her face…

"Inuyasha!" she exclaims happily.

Inuyasha looks on, "O-Ofukuro?"

Kagome puts her hand on his chest, "Wait. It might be a trick, remember?" she looks too- _That's her… but that can't be._

She remembers last time Inuyasha's mother was 'brought back from the dead.' The emotions that coursed through Inuyasha. He wanted to protect her, he was happy that she was back, only to have it all shattered. For it to be revealed that it was just an illusion, a sick trick played by Sesshōmaru. That was heartbreaking for Inuyasha.

"Inuyasha, be careful."

His mother approaches them, "Inuyasha… it's me," she's sincere about it.

"Kagome…I think it is her. I think it's really her…" he walks toward her.

"Inuyasha, wait," she follows.

Inuyasha's mother embraces him. Inuyasha, at first hesitantly and in disbelief, returns the embrace- _It's her scent. There's no mistaking it – Mother…  
><em>"Ofukuro… it's really you right? You're…you're really here?"

Kagome stands beside him quietly. She doesn't sense anything from her. No demonic energy or other strange aura. As far as she can tell, she's human – she's alive.

"Yes, Inuyasha, it's me."

Inuyasha lifts his head up and gently pushes himself away, "Oh, Ofukuro, this is Kagome. She's… she's my wife," he says it with a smile.

His mother looks up at him and then stares at Kagome.

*blush* "Uh… oh! Good morning, Okaa-san. It's great to meet you," she bows.

Inuyasha looks back at him mom. She's tearing up. "Mother, why are you-?"

"I'm happy for you…"

Kagome reassures her, "It's okay…"

Izayoi wipes her tears away, then quickly lifts her head up as if she just remembered something, "Inuyasha, I want you to meet someone," she turns around.

Inuyasha and Kagome are surprised that they didn't' notice earlier, the presence of a demon. Sitting and looking at them are a pair of yellow eyes with red lines above them. A demon dressed in white, poofy-hakama, tied by a red sash; white kimono with a blue stripe followed by a thinner blue stripe beneath it design at the collar, shoulders, and sleeves; red under-kimono; and long, white hair tied into a high ponytail with two blue ribbons and jagged, split bangs that reach passed his eyebrows. A jagged indigo line on each cheek. He looks very much like Sesshōmaru… and they see some of Inuyasha too.

He just looks at them quietly, smiling.

"Inuyasha, it's your father."

"Uh…"

"Y-your… dad?"

The Great Dog General, Inu no Taishō, stands up. He's tall. He begins to walk over to them and stops. Inuyasha stares on, unsure of what to say.

"Inuyasha," says his father.

Inuyasha's ears flick, "Uh… Old M-" Kagome pulls at the back of his hair, "I mean, um… Otō-san(?)" *sweatdrop* He looks down.

It is a rather unusual situation for both of them. Yes, Inuyasha is his son, but he doesn't recognize his face, and he's being presented with his younger son already grown into a young man, he can't just suddenly get all fatherly on him.  
>Yes, that is his father but it does feel strange suddenly referring to a man whose face he doesn't even remember by a title so intimate such as 'Dad' or even 'Father.'<p>

Kagome tries to break the awkwardness, "Um… Good morning to you, sir. You may have heard already, but I'm Higurashi Kagome – Inuyasha's wife," she bows.

"Yes. Nice to meet you," Taishō looks at her for a moment. Bright red hakama, white top. He looks at Inuyasha curiously, "You married a priestess, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha raises his head, "Well, uh…" looks at Kagome, "Yeah, I… I did."

Inuyasha's mother looks too, "But, isn't it the duty of a priestess to…"

Kagome and Inuyasha look at each other. Huh, their pairing is quite…oxymoronic?

Kagome, "It's a long story."

"Kagome-chan!"  
>"Kagome-sama!"<p>

The rest of the gang shows up having wondered what was taking them so long. Everyone quiets and stares.

Well, this is interesting…

~~Awhile later~~

Everyone's back to where they were resting, but Taishō's standing.

Sango asks, "You, you're Inuyasha's father?"

Nods, looks down at Shippō.

"It is a tremendous honor to meet you, Dog General, sir," he bows deeply.

"It's nice to meet you too."

Kilala bows as well- *meow*

Miroku looks at Inuyasha's mother, "And she, Inuyasha, is your mother?" *wink*

Inuyasha glares at him.

Taishō, "You're quite surprising, Inuyasha."

They look at him.

"You married a priestess and your companions include a monk, demon slayers," he looks down, "and even a cat."

*Meow*

Miroku holds a cup of tea to his mouth, "Yes, indeed. Your son is quite the surprising fellow. Using your heirloom not only to defend himself, but to save the lives of scores of helpless villagers!"

Inuyasha, "Geh?"

"In fact we were just returning from having just saved countless villages from destruction!" he raises his hand to the sky dramatically.

"Miroku!" Inuyasha tries to contain himself. Yeah, it's true but… he just didn't like how he was _saying _it.

Taishō glances at Inuyasha. Temper, just like his brother.

Kohaku, "Yeah, Inuyasha-sama does a lot of good deeds. Saving the innocent, slaying the bad guys."

Sango, "You should be very proud of your son."

"You too?"

Shippō, "You know, I can make drawings for you about all the good deeds Inuyasha's done."

"Shippō!"

Yup, this boy's on the verge of choking someone. Taishō walks over, "I didn't expect him to have these either." He grabs one of Inuyasha's ears.

"Hey-!"

Taishō moves his hand and then Inuyasha lets out an "Ah…"  
>Next thing Inuyasha is sitting in his doggy position, eyes closes, tongue out, leg shaking, while his father scratches his ear.<br>"Good."

The rest of the Inuyasha-gang, "HUH?"

Inuyasha whines and presses himself closer to his dad. Taishō smiles and stops, but Inuyasha stays as he is and rubs his face into his dad's leg, cuddling as would a doggy, even laughing a little through a smile, and then Inuyasha's eyes suddenly spread wide open in shock (0.0) and he quickly moves away taking the position he would if Kagome were to snap at him. Blushing, twitching- _How, how did he do that!_

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't expect you to do that."  
>That's a lie.<p>

The gang stares on.

Shippō, "Wow… how did you do that?"

Kagome, "Can you teach me?"

Inuyasha stands, "No!"

* * *

><p>The fog's cleared and everyone's walking to the village. Sango asked Inuyasha's mother if she would like to ride Kilala to which she politely declined. Taishō walks close, his hands in his sleeves.<p>

Inuyasha stares at him- _Sesshōmaru really looks like him. Well… at least I know what his face looks like now.  
><em>"Hey, you don't remember talking to me after that whole thing with Sō'unga?"

Taishō stops, "No. Why? You mean you got rid of it?"

"Yeah. So… you don't remember?"

"No."

"Oh, okay."

That light at the end, was more of a… 'recorded message.'

"Oh, Inuyasha, how's your- !"

The whole group stops. They feel it – a hoard of demons, a very large one.

Sango adjusts Hiraikotsu, "Should we go check it out?"

"Inuya-asha!" a demon shoots out at them - *_SLICE!_*  
>The ground cracks, the demon killed from Taishō's claws. He lowers his arm, sleeve flapping from the motion, claws cracking.<p>

"A-amazing…"

Taishō reacted and killed the demon before Inuyasha could so much as grab his sword- _I, I don't think I remember seeing him move…  
><em>He regains composure, "I guess we should, since they're looking for me."

"Inuyasha, what about your mom?"

"I'm sure she'll be okay. We're all here, plus the Great Dog General here's too."

* * *

><p>The group arrives at a raised slope and before it is a plain of hundreds of demons.<p>

"He's here!"

Inuyasha steps forward at the top of the slope as a group charges for them. Taishō is close behind his side and the rest behind them. He draws Tetsusaiga transformed – the fang.

Taishō's eyes widen somewhat- _It's bigger than I remember…  
><em>But they widen more as he sees the demonic winds swirl around the blade- _He can summon it at will…_

"Wind Scar!" There. That group is obliterated and a wave of debris rises, and from it something else…

A stone flies out of it rapidly and strikes Taishō's temple with a sickening crack. His eyes go blank and he collapses.

"What the hell?"  
>"Dearest!"<br>"Oyaji!"

Kohaku approaches the stone, it's glowing, as he is about to touch it Sango grabs his hand, "Don't touch it! That's a Sesshō-seki, the Killing Stone* if you touch it you'll die on the spot."

Miroku and Kagome lean down to Taishō.  
>Kagome, "He's still breathing…"<br>Miroku, "It must be because he's such a powerful demon that it only knocked him unconscious instead of killing him."

Shippō, "But why was there a Sesshō-seki here?"

Inuyasha looks out into the clearing dust. There's still more of them.

"Inuyasha, why don't you fight our leader?"  
>"Yes, defeat him and we will surrender."<br>"I doubt you can – he's too powerful!"

"Fine! Where is he?"

Face down, a man in white rises to his feet wielding a long brown staff.

"There he is."

He's a tall, slender man in white hakama that cut off above the ankles; white tabi; black v-neck Chinese slippers; white button-down, high-collared, long-sleeved, Chinese shirt with blue trim at the edges and French-cuffs; black gloves that reach to the knuckles and wrap around the thumb. His white hair is in a long, thin, tight French braid with the rest of his hair scruffy and messy.  
>He raises his hand to his face, half-covering it.<p>

"Are you the one responsible for the Sesshō-seki?"

"And you know what you defeated the other day? He helped se that up too!"

The man opens his eyes. He has one jagged indigo line at each cheek; a sharp jaw line that ends with a pointy, white goatee. Long black lashes and black brows. Large and slender peacock-blue eyes and a red sideways 'v' stemming from his eye's outer corners, the vertex curving out into his temples. There are two scruffy tuffs of hair framing his face that don't go past his ears.  
>He lowers his hand, "Who the hell are you?"<p>

"He's Inuyasha!"

The man looks back annoyed at the demons, then back at Inuyasha. *Shrugs* "Alright, then."

Inuyasha charges at him, "So you're the one responsible for all of this!" he swings but when he does the man is no longer there.

He's standing at the other side of Inuyasha, calm, then harshly kicks Inuyasha's back sending him into the ground! He grabs Inuyasha by the scruff, knees him in the gut and tosses him in the ground once more this time landing face-up. He stomps on Inuyasha's chest making all the air escape his lungs – then the sound of straining ribs…

"Inuyasha!" scream his mother and Kagome.

Sango throws her Hiraikotsu at him. The man turns around, slips his hand into the straps and moves with it, never stopping, and redirects it right back at them. It crashes into the ground before them as they dodge it.

"Im-impossible…!"

Inuyasha rises to his feet, albeit shakily, "Guys!" he turns to the demon. He appears right in front of Inuyasha and immediately grabs his wrist stopping Tetsusaiga.

"Huh, what is it that you are trying to do, child? Ahh… a half-demon. Well, that's interesting…"

Inuyasha stares up at him, and then with his free hand tries to claw at the other man, but he just slaps that hand away.

"Tch, shame…" the other man punches Inuyasha who would've fallen back if he weren't being held by the wrist. He pulls Inuyasha towards him and punches him again.

Inuyasha goes limp and notices the man's staff is planted into the ground behind him- _When did he put that down?  
><em>"Who… who are you?"

"No need to worry, little boy."

Inuyasha looks at the man's face, then with a flick of the wrist is sent back as he's let go.

"Go!"  
>Inuyasha opens his eyes and sees a glowing arrow fly by and then sees the man pass by in the opposite direction toward Kagome. Inuyasha jumps up and fires a Wind Scar.<p>

The man jumps back from Kagome doing a back flip in the air landing quite far away from Inuyasha who is now standing.

"Don't **dare** attack them! This is between you and me! Kagome, you and everyone else stay there!"

They nod.

Miroku comments, "He moved out of the arrow's path as soon as you let go of it, and came to attack…"

Kagome slowly nods.

The man had taken his staff with him when he tried to attack Kagome, so now he was holding it, "Well well~ now **that** was interesting!" he laughs and his eyes brighten…

Inuyasha grips his sword with both hands, "Who the hell are you!"

He grins from ear to ear, gum to gum, revealing larger than average canines, "…Mikazuki, little boy."

The demonic winds swirl around Tetsusaiga's blade, "Got it."

The other man, Mikazuki, narrows his eyes.

"Wind Scar!"

Instead of dodging, Mikazuki runs into the Wind Scar, parting it with his right hand.

_No!_

He parts the wind creating a path and reaches Tetsusaiga… He jumps up. Inuyasha raises his sword placing a hand on the blade's wide side to block the other's kick delivered by the left leg, but the sword discharges – a burning – the barrier of Tetsusaiga!

Mikazuki pushes himself off with that foot into the sky, flips, and lands on his right leg and staff for support- _The hell?  
><em>He's keeping his left foot off the ground, "A barrier, huh?"

Inuyasha looks at Mikazuki, then Tetsusaiga- _Too close…!_  
>*gulp* *Du-dun* <em>I have to finish this…<br>_"Adamant Barrage!" they fire out.

Mikazuki eyes them- _Hosenki?_

*BOOOM!* but another sound is heard amongst the racket of the Barrage- *tink* *tink tink* *clink!*  
>They see some spears fly out in skewed directions. When it's over they see he's still standing.<p>

All around him spears, some stabbed into the ground, others simply lying there. There's a small gash between his neck and left shoulder. That's all the damage done to him. He now wields a long, thin sword with a gentle curve and a bent brown handle.

Inuyasha feels his guts tighten into a knot.

Kagome, "That staff was hiding a sword."

Inuyasha- _He __deflected__ them… with his sword…?_

The man smiles, "I don't know how you were able to do that, but you managed to force me to draw my sword. Nice trick, kid."

Inuyasha grips his sword tighter.

"Suisei." (Comet) The man swings his sword and a large white-blue, comet-looking energy aims at Inuyasha.

Inuyasha's eyes widen. He smiles, narrowing his eyes, "Perfect…"

It comes closer…

"Backlash Wave!" the wind engulfs the other's attack, forming into the twisters which then direct themselves towards the other man. Before the twisters reach him, he moves toward them. One twister lands where he formerly was, and he swiftly slips in between the rest. A turn here, a step there, a spin, ducks, another step over there – he smoothly maneuvers among the twisters and with one last turn he's out. The twisters continue on behind him, eventually dispersing.

Inuyasha feels himself sink. The attack was powerful enough to create the wave to begin with, he felt it was powerful, but then the man himself was a relatively small target for such a massive attack. Once he aimed and unleashed the twisters they would go to where he aimed, and not necessarily follow the target if it decided to move out of the way. None of his former targets had moved like that; they either prepared to brace or were destroyed in the attempt.

"Is that all, child?"

Out of the corner of Inuyasha's eye he sees white- *_PAS!_*  
>He's kicked in the side of the head then falls temporarily letting go of Tetsusaiga! The man stabs his sword into the ground, picks Inuyasha up by the collar, hits him with his fist once! twice! then lets him go allowing the boy to fall. He kicks him in the ribs and raises a hand up, cracking his claws, "That really is all you have for me then, child? How disappointing…"<br>He brings his claws down but Inuyasha grabs Tetsusaiga's sheath blocking the attack! Mikazuki leaps back picking up his blade while doing so.

Inuyasha quickly returns his sheath back to his hip and picks up his sword, transforming it, "I'm not done yet…"

The man takes a few steps back. There's something off about this one…

"Meidō Zangetsuha!"

He leaps into the air completely avoiding all the dark crescent blades. No fighting them off, no slipping in between, and rightly done. Some trees and demons in the way were somehow cut into being missing…

The man lands.

Inuyasha grits his teeth. The blade covers with dragon scales.

The other man tilts his head waiting for what new trick the little half-demon has to show – but nothing happens. He only sees Inuyasha stare at him in a mixture of disbelief, horror, panic, and confusion.

Inuyasha feels his heart beat. There's no way…  
><em>This guy… has no yōketsu…?! and no demonic aura… Now that I really focus on him… he has no scent either – at all… What the hell is he!<em>

"…That's it?"

"Grrr!" his blade turns black again.

Oh no, no, no, we can't have that again – "Stage #2: Hakuhyō Kossa." (White Ice Bone Chain)

The Tetsusaiga is wrapped in a white chain ending with a bent crescent-like blade at the end.  
>*krk krk*<br>"What the hell?"  
>Ice spreads out from the chains onto the fang. Inuyasha is about to pull his sword away when Mikazuki interrupts, "Eh, eh, eh, do you want your fancy sword to shatter?"<p>

He stops, "Wh-what's that supposed to mean?"

Mikazuki holds his sword with the right hand and the chain in the other which emerges from his sword's pommel. He begins to walk toward Inuyasha, "Your sword **is** as fragile as ice now. If you break the ice, you break your sword."

Inuyasha looks at Tetsusaiga, the ice creeping over it, and notices that the ice is moving faster towards his hands. He puts his claws to the ice- *krk krk krk!* the ice creeps rapidly up his fingers, "No!"  
>Up to his knuckles. He's about to pull–<p>

"You want to lose your fingers too?"

Inuyasha stops.

"You can break the ice, but anything it's come into contact with will break too. Killing me won't do anything either. So if your little friends over there-" he glances at them "-are thinking of doing anything, it won't help." As he walks he collects the chain.

The ice is now passed Inuyasha's wrist and the fur handguard.

"The ice will continue until you are completely frozen, regardless of my death. Do anything to tug at the chains and all will break. There's nothing you or your friends can do that won't result in you and your sword breaking. Push me back, pull away, it'll all break," he suddenly pulls the chain low. Inuyasha sees this and kneels so as to prevent any tightening of the chain.

The ice in now at his elbows.

"Why didn't you drop the sword when you had the chance, kid? Now you can't do anything to escape, that is unless you're willing to lose your arms…" he steps closer and closer, the ice creeping more and more.

"The ice will go into your mouth, down your throat, up your nose, even into your eyes, until every drop of blood in your body freezes, and then it'll shatter on its own. If your friends touch it, it'll do the same to them."

Inuyasha sees the ice on his shoulders, spreading to his chest...

"But I won't let it go that far."

Inuyasha looks up at the man as he stops in front of him. He holds his blade near Inuyasha's neck. Inuyasha feels his heart thudding in his throat.

Everyone looks on horrified. Anything they do… will break the ice…he'll lose his arms and Tetsusaiga…not even killing the enemy will stop the process…

The demons who were looking on break out into laughter.  
>"I-Inuyasha…" Kagome gasps out.<br>Izayoi covers her mouth, "Oh god…" tears welling up in her eyes.  
>Miroku hold his staff tighter, Sango grips Hiraikotsu, Kohaku grasps at his chain and sickle, all in frustration.<br>Shippō and Kilala quiver.

Inuyasha doesn't move- _This is it… None of us can do anything about this… I always considered the possibility of meeting a demon stronger than me and dying by their hand… but I…_

He feels the cold metal at the skin of his neck.

_I didn't think it would be so soon… At least, at least I -  
><em>He remembers his friends, his lovers, the village, the good times and bad times, the friendship, trust and love…  
><em>At least I got to see my mother again, and meet my father… and show them how things have turned out…<em>

He lowers his head as he feels the blade breaking the top layer of skin, beginning to shed blood.

Inuyasha closes his eyes- _I'm glad that I got to meet all of you…_

He hears his name screamed out.

_This is the end… Thank you, everyone. Goodbye…_

He smiles.

The man tightens his grip on the sword…

* * *

><p>...<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

**Oh why did I do this to you? Why did I do this to myself! It's been three months… I am so sorry. Please forgive me for the tardiness in uploading this new chapter D':**

**I am sad to say that from this chapter on, I will try to update a chapter for each month. If more are published then good for all of us, but it will probably be one a month.**

**Now things will become…well I admit I am nervous about how you will see this chapter, but read carefully and remember the first chapter, and I can assure you that I have not forgotten that hook with which I caught you. **

**Read on please, if you want.**

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 3: Miichi<p>

* * *

><p>Inuyasha sees the ice on his shoulders, spreading to his chest...<p>

"But I won't let it go that far."

Inuyasha looks up at the man as he stops in front of him. He holds his blade near Inuyasha's neck. Inuyasha feels his heart thudding in his throat.

Everyone looks on horrified. Anything they do… will break the ice…he'll lose his arms and Tetsusaiga…not even killing the enemy will stop the process…

The demons who were looking on break out into laughter.  
>"I-Inuyasha…" Kagome gasps out.<br>Izayoi covers her mouth, "Oh god…" tears welling up in her eyes.  
>Miroku hold his staff tighter, Sango grips Hiraikotsu, Kohaku grasps at his chain and sickle, all in frustration.<br>Shippō and Kilala quiver.

Inuyasha doesn't move- _This is it… None of us can do anything about this… I always considered the possibility of meeting a demon stronger than me and dying by their hand… but I…_

He feels the cold metal at the skin of his neck.

_I didn't think it would be so soon… At least, at least I -  
><em>He remembers his friends, his lovers, the village, the good times and bad times, the friendship, trust and love…  
><em>At least I got to see my mother again, and meet my father… and show them how things have turned out…<em>

He lowers his head as he feels the blade breaking the top layer of skin, beginning to shed blood.

Inuyasha closes his eyes- _I'm glad that I got to meet all of you…_

He hears his name screamed out.

_This is the end… Thank you, everyone. Goodbye…_

He smiles.

The man tightens his grip on the sword…

"**Stop!**" a deep voice booms.

The man stops, looking up at the slope.

Kagome and the others look as well… It's Inuyasha's father – he's come to!

"D-dearest…?"

Blood flows down his face; he's somewhat wobbly.

Inuyasha's eyes open- _Dad…?_

The man's eyes widen, "R-roshi…?" Inuyasha seems to hear the man whisper in amazement.

The General takes a step forward, "Otō-sama! Don't – that's enough!"

Kagome, "Wh-what?"  
>Miroku, "Otō-?"<p>

"Ha, why not boy?"

Taishō manages a smile, "He's your grandchild."

Inuyasha's eyes, everyone's eyes, widen.

*Krkkrk – krak – krsh!* The ice cracks and shatters but not Inuyasha or his sword. Chunks of ice slip off of his sleeves and Tetsusaiga transforms back as Inuyasha drops it.

*Klank* _  
>…the other sword was dropped?<em>

He's suddenly grabbed by the collar, put on his feet and then - *bloop bloop*  
>The man is touching and squeezing his doggy ears - *bloop*<p>

Inuyasha makes the face he always does when someone does that, "Uhhh…." *twitch twitch*

*Bloop! Bloop! Bloop! Bloop!*

"Will you cut that out!" he smacks Mikazuki's arms.

The man looks at him…. *_slap!_* "How dare you! After nearly killing you, I should be allowed to do whatever the damn hell I want with you – I let you live, boy! Furthermore, Roshi says I'm your grandfather so that's all the more reason!"

He grabs his ears - *bwoop bwoop bwoop*

Sango, "Th-that's your… father?"

Taishō sighs in relief, "Good… he spared him – nn? Sorry, what?"

Kohaku, "That man… is your father?"

"….yes. I suppose he was brought back too."

Izayoi, "Roshi...? That's short for your name, Hiroshi isn't it?"

"Well of course it is, what else could it be?"

Everyone turns around. He's right there… "Aah!" everyone yelps and steps back in shock.

Something's thrown in the gang's direction but Taishō catches it. It's Tetsusaiga – he caught it by the handle.

Mikazuki's carrying Inuyasha face down with his left arm around his waist, while the right one is being shaken. Inuyasha looks surprised too.

*sigh* "Otō-sama, was that necessary?"

His hand still shaking off the pain, "Yes. I couldn't hold it for that long." He lets go of Inuyasha.

Inuyasha gets up, dusts himself off and takes Tetsusaiga back.

The gang, Inuyasha and his mother take a real good look at this man – at Inuyasha's grandpa. They look at his figure, his colors, his stance, the shoulders thrown back, arms bent into his hakama slits, chest out, head tilted back a bit and to the side, his eyes…

The inner corners of Grandpa's eyebrows pull up. He turns to his son, "You got a human pregnant?"

Taishō, "…yes."

"…And I'm only vaguely surprised that you slipped it into a human, how 'bout that?" his eyes roll up and then focus on Inuyasha.

Everyone twitches a little, especially Taishō, Inuyasha, and Izayoi. It's uncomfortable hearing such things in front of your child, or parents – wait, only _vaguely_ surprised?

Kagome steps up, "Well, she's Inuyasha's mother…" she says with some hesitation.

Grandpa leans in, "Who?"

Izayoi slightly raises her hand.

The in-law, huh? Grandpa looks at her, blinks, "Either you sold your soul or you were brought back from the dead too."

Her eyes widen.

Taishō, "She was brought back like you."

Shippō, "What made you say that?"

"She can't be anything over 25, and seeing as how this kid right here's grown… there's just _no way_ she'd be alive to see him like that – _unless_ she made a deal with demons for youth and/or an extended life or… she was brought back from the dead as a young lady," the whole time as he spoke he was taking steps closer to her but then he leaned to the side at Taishō, "They get younger every time don't they?"

Taishō blushes a little and so do some others of the group.

Grandpa makes a circling motion toward the gang, "So who are they?"

"The priestess is Inuyasha's wife and the rest are friends."

Each chirp out their names and introduce themselves. Inuyasha adds, "You're really the old man's dad, you old geezer?"

Inuyasha is on the ground getting beat up.

"What! After the ass whooping I gave you, you dare call me _that_! I'd expect 'honorable grandfather' at the least!"

"Augh! Get off-!"

The gang is shocked and Taishō gets closer, "Inuyasha, just call him 'grandpa'! Anything will do, even 'gramps'! Just not 'old geezer'!"

"Fine… gah! I-I'm sorry… Ojiji…!"

Grandpa stands up putting Inuyasha back onto his feet by pulling him up by the shoulders and then he pats Inuyasha's collar, "There…now that wasn't so hard was it?"

Inuyasha twitches.

The gang- _He's insane…!_

Grandpa glares at them.

"Hey!"

Everyone turns around. It's the demons.  
>"Aren't you supposed to finish each other off?"<br>"Yeah, what's the hold up?"

"Hey, Ojiji, those demons called you their leader earlier."

"Right... Heh, bastards couldn't manage to kill me so when they saw you they tried to get you to finish me off and that hopefully we'd kill each other… Pathetic ain't it?"

"He's a half-breed – you're letting him live!"  
>"He's a disgrace to you kind!"<br>"Get rid of him!"

Izayoi closes her eyes from the memories, Taishō and the gang glare at them, Inuyasha's lip curls up…

"Quiet!" Grandpa steps forward.

"Wh-what?"  
>"How dare you-"<p>

"How dare _I_? Didn't you hear me? Shut your deformed trash-spitting snouts, sit your disgusting assess down, be quiet and **wait!**"

"Kill hi-"

"Di-di-di-dih! No. Can't you see that I'm trying to have a conversation?"

"But-"

"I'm trying to catch up with my son and grandchild who I've never met! When I'm done I'll go ahead and split those squash-shaped mugs of yours! In the meantime **wait!**" he turns around and begins to walk toward the group.

"You, you didn't have to be so mean about it…" the demons sulk.

"_**Silence!**_ I'll be back when I'm done!"

The other demons back up a little.

Shippō clinging to Miroku's shoulder, "H-he's scary…"

Taishō manages a smile, "Otō-sama, you should reveal your scent."

"Fine…" Grandpa cocks his head and with the ease of flipping a light switch he has a scent and a demonic aura as strong as Taishō's.

The gang gasps at the sudden appearance of his yōki.  
>Inuyasha's nose twitches and then his eyes widen as he sees his grandfather's yōketsu (demon vortex) appear- <em>That's why the dragon-scaled Tetsusaiga didn't work…!<em>

"There, happy now?" he asks his son.

Taishō's nose twitches, "Yes. Thank you, Father."

Grandpa turns to find the group staring at him. They look at him, then Taishō, then Inuyasha, then him – they do see some of Sesshōmaru in there but…

"You're eyes are blue…" says Kagome.

"Oh they are~?" Grandpa flicks his hand to his lip, the other hand on his hip. "What color did you expect them to be?" he asks gruffly.

"Well…" she looks at Inuyasha, Taishō and imagines Sesshōmaru, "…yellow."

He leans in, "Well, they aren't yellow are they? If my eyes aren't yellow and all of theirs are, then that means…"

"You're eyes can change color?" says Shippō.

"What."

"Please don't be mad," Shippō scoots away and bows.

"It means my wife's the one with the yellow eyes, you-! No way…" he gives himself a light facepalm, "That little – how is he still alive when he's older? I mean, really? How?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?"

Suddenly he stretches out his arm and closes his fist. He brings it in and when he opens it…

"My lord! Oh, I couldn't believe it but, but Mikazuki-sama you're back from the dead!" sobs out Myōga.

*Squish*

"Otō-sama!"

"It's old-flea Myōga?"

"You can have him," Grandpa throws the flea over at Taishō.

Myōga hugs his master's nose, and with big sparkling eyes and a flood of tears, "**Master~!**" _*Shlurrrrrp…!* _"Oh I missed your delicious blood so much-!" *Slap!*  
>Myōga, flat as a leaf, floats down into Taishō's hand.<br>"I honestly can't believe this to be true, but there's no mistaking your blood~! No one else but you, my lord, could have such tasty blood~~" he rubs his belly.

"It's nice too see you too…"

"How are you still alive?"

"Well, perhaps it's because I have refrained from engaging in dangers and vices."

Inuyasha, "So you've been running away for ages, huh?"

"No I haven't!"

"Yes you have," responds Grandpa.

"Are you done yet!" yells out a demon.

"Right… might as well."

Sango, "Mikazuki-Ojii-sama, wouldn't you want some help from your son or grandson?"

"I'm fine," he walks toward them. He picks up his sword, sheaths and twists it shut.

Kohaku, "Why is he…?"

Myōga, settled on Taishō's shoulder, "Mikazuki-sama hasn't had the opportunity to enjoy a fight in a long time."

Grandpa looks up at them, his eyes flash and he grins, "Come and get me!"

*Graah!* *Kreee!*

A neck is caught in between the crook of the pommel and the sheath snapping the neck. He turns, kicks one in the jaw snapping the neck back. Dodges, turns, he hits with a knee, an elbow, another swing – *Snap! Snap! Kra-ak!*  
>One hit, one kill.<p>

He leaps up, kicking some as he comes back down. A demon with horns charges but Grandpa grabs it by the horns and drives them into another demon.

Everyone looks on as he takes on the hoard of demons, killing them barehanded and with his sheathed sword. Inuyasha's eyes quiver as he watches how he disposes of them with quick ruthlessness.

"You should be grateful Inuyasha-sama."

Inuyasha looks over at Myōga, "If it hadn't been for Tetsusaiga and all of the abilities you have absorbed with it, Mikazuki-sama would've killed you much sooner."

A true monster, towering above the rest like a dinosaur, roars. Grandpa runs toward it head on, jumps high above it, spins his body round as gravity pulls him down, untwists, and delivers a rotating heel drop kick sending that monster's face crashing into and cracking the earth, maybe even flattening anything alive beneath it at that moment.

"He found your 'tricks' interesting, Inuyasha-sama. As a result he refrained from killing you so that he could see them, and that's why when you ran out he decided to kill you. Without Tetsusaiga, you wouldn't have stood a chance."

Inuyasha gulps and turns his gaze back toward the battle, if it could be called that. No, it's more a massacre.

Grandpa grabs hold of the enemies' weapons using it against them. He twists limbs, trips others, has them run into one another, all in all, setting them up so that he can kill them more easily. As one wave is defeated another replaces it but he only continues to kill and they continue to die.

Grandpa plants his sword into the ground, spreads his left arm out to his side, his right hand out before him which then spins toward his waist, and bows.  
>"Ta-da~" - *<strong>BOOM!<strong>* an explosion on his left sends his staff flying toward the group! -*Krak!* as it stabs into the ground the gang jumps back!

Grandpa looks to his left, "Huh." He turns back around to meet the next wave – it's something big. He slaughters the little guys blocking his way toward the monster. Standing on his hands, spinning kicks, hands snapping necks, spines, more kicks and he runs up the monster's back doing a flip landing on its opens jaws.

He has a foot on the roof of its mouth and the other on the opposite side – he's doing the splits. Grandpa looks into its mouth, then closes his legs falling in - *_Vwroom!_*  
>It's sliced from the inside, from the throat down to its stomach, and Grandpa appears again landing on the ground completely intact.<p>

The other demons stare in horror and retreat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Get your little punk-asses back here and face me! I'm not done with you yet! You're all goddamn useless **cowards!**" He pauses, inhales, then sighs…

"Ah!" the gang jumps as Grandpa appears suddenly in front of them again. Taishō had grabbed the staff and tries to give it back.

"Wait," they look at his hands. They're completely drenched in blood. He walks over to Izayoi; she stares at his bloody, dripping hands. He bends over- *_rrrip!_* and he stands back up again with a chunk of Izayoi's outer kimonos cleaning his hands with it.

Inuyasha, "Wh-what are you-?"

"Otō-sama!"

"What? She doesn't need those," he tosses the cloth over his shoulders when he's done, then walks over to his son staring at the bloody half of his face.  
>*Blink*<br>He walks over to Izayoi again- *_rrrip!_*

"Hey!"

"Honestly, they just leave you like this? What kind of bull is that?" he says as he wipes the blood off of Taishō's face with another chunk of Izayoi's outer kimonos.

"Otō-sama…quit it. That's enough."

He tosses that cloth too and takes his staff.

Inuyasha, "Why are you all back from the dead anyway?"

Izayoi shakes her head, Grandpa shrugs, and Taishō, "Well…"

Grandpa suddenly turns toward him, "Wait…y-you're dead? You died…?"

Taishō looks down, "Yes…"

"Myōga, how long have I been dead?" Grandpa asks.

"I'd say about a good 300 years."

"How long has Roshi been dead?"

"About 200 years…"

"But…" he looks at his son. Late 30s, early 40s – there was still so much he could have…  
>He turns to Inuyasha. The boy's so young. He can't be anymore than, but then…<br>"How did he die?"

"Master was gravely wounded and immediately afterward – Izayoi-sama and Inuyasha-sama, who was barely born, they were in danger. He went for them and in the end died protecting them… Today is the first time that Inuyasha-sama has ever met his father."

Everyone's eyes widen.

Inuyasha, "Wait…Dad…that's how…?"  
>He had known about Ryuukotsusei, but not that part. He remembers Sesshōmaru's words…<br>^^ "You don't know **anything**: about what happened, why you are alive, why you even still exist. You **ignorantly **jump around unaware…" ^^  
><em>I guess he had a point…<em>

Grandpa closes his eyes shaking his head. He tilts his head back and squints to the sky, "And your mother?"

"I'm sorry, Otō-sama…" Taishō pauses, "And Akiyo died too."

Myōga adds in, "But Sesshōmaru's still alive."

Inuyasha looks on at his grandfather.  
>^^ "Everyone's gone… it's just you and me…" ^^<br>He sees him close his eyes tight and then…

"We don't have a lot of time."

"?"

"Neither of you remember how you were brought back?"

"No, sir," responds Izayoi.  
>Taishō shakes his head.<p>

"Me neither. Who ever was behind it didn't want to reveal themselves."

Sango, "What was the first thing you saw when you awoke from the dead?"

Izayoi, "We were inside a cave and our clothes were there, but there wasn't a sign of anyone else."

"Well these bodies are flesh and blood," he looks at his own wound and his son's.  
>"There must be a catch; you can't just bring back the dead. There's always a price."<p>

The rest think on that. When Kikyō was resurrected, it was into a body of soil and clay that needed others' souls to animate. Kohaku was brought back with a jewel shard but he was under Naraku's control, and his life was bound to the shard the way that the Band of Seven's were. Although Kohaku remained alive, it was only because the last pure light of the shard was given to him allowing the jewel to be consumed by darkness, making Naraku more powerful. Tenseiga can only bring a life back once and never again.

"They must have known where the graves were," says Taishō.

"Hm? Why?"

"In accordance with your will, we buried Nagareboshi with you," he eyes his staff. "And your grave is back on Shikoku. Who ever did it went through a lot of trouble…" he wonders how that person got to _his_ remains when his grave is on the border between this world and the next.

Miroku, "That's a lot of work to bring you back if they aren't even so much as using you."

"Let's go to _The_ Estate."

"Why?"

"The estate…?" asks Kagome.

"Yeah. It'd be one thing if it was only you and her who were brought back – you're both Inuyasha's parents – but the fact that I've been brought back too…? Just you, me and your woman? That can't be right. You have to bring back granny too," his eyes begin to lighten up and he starts to pace.  
>"Where are the others' graves?"<p>

"Next to yours…"

"Then why stop at us? Why not bring back the others back too? If they traveled all the way over there, why not dig up everyone else's grave while they're at it? Obviously the ability to do so is no problem."

"But why would they bring you back?"

"Who cares! We're alive and here – let's enjoy this! Take advantage of this extra time! If I'm right and they were brought back, they would've headed to _The_ Estate. I mean they don't know who died after them; as far as they're concerned someone's there."

Inuyasha, "You mean…the rest of our family could be waiting…?" he envisions those smiles Sesshōmaru told him about.  
>^^ "You would've liked them…and they you…" ^^<p>

If Grandpa's reaction, or more correctly his lack of reaction toward him being a half-demon, is any sign…then maybe, maybe…

"Yes! It's worth a shot. Even if they're not there, the boy still deserves to see where his father grew up, his family's land."

There's no response for a moment.

"Master…"

"Let's go."

Grandpa looks at Inuyasha.

"Let's go check it out."  
>This is an opportunity that he just can't miss. He needs to see them if they're there.<p>

"Atta boy. Fine, let's go to _The_ Estate!"

Shippō hops down, "You can't mean… THE Estate? Of the Agekkōki's?"

"The one and only."

Shippō petrifies, "….Inuyasha, what in the world is wrong with you!" he hits Inuyasha. "How do you not know your own clan – that you're, you're, you're related to, to-" he looks at Taishō and Grandpa and bows on all fours.  
>"You deserve far more respect. I apologize for the rudeness of your descendant. Forgive him for he is ignorant."<p>

"Nice to know the name still strikes fear after so many years," Grandpa laughs. "Alright let's go now."

Shippō gets up, "Wait! But, but by the time we'll get there the, the sun will have set!"

Inuyasha, "So? What's the problem?"

"You really don't know anything…" Shippō trembles, turning slowly toward Inuyasha, "You are** NEVER** supposed to go to _The_ Estate at night."

*Evil Laugher!*

Shippō jumps onto Inuyasha's head.

It was Grandpa, "That's right. You're not. But you're gonna be with us so it'll be okay," he waves it off. "Now let's get a movin' people…"  
>He lets out another evil laugh, "To <em><span>The<span>_ Estate!" *randomly cue darkness, thunder and lightning!*

"Father, stop that. You're scaring everyone."

"No, shut up."

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p><em>*<em>Look up the Japanese Islands to see how far the island of Shikoku is from Tokyo (which is on the island of Honshu) to give you an idea of how much trouble the person went through :D

_**_Note on Taishō's name: I made it up. Hiroshi isn't Inu no Taishō's (and Taishō is just his title "General") real name. Touga, commonly believed to be his name, is in fact a temporary name that the director/creator-people of the 3rd Inuyasha movie called him. (I guess it was to make things easier during storyboards and stuff?)  
>Touga means "Fighting Fang," Touga-ō means "Great Fighting Fang," but dear Rumiko Takahashi never approved of those names, so it <strong>is not <strong>his name.

I carefully picked out the meaning (more like agonized)  
>The 1st kanji (弘) means like: vast, extensive, immense, magnificent, grand. That kanji itself can be read as 'hiroshi' but can also be read as 'hiro' and the latter is what I chose.<br>The 2nd kanji (志) for 'shi' means like: ambition, aspiration, a wish, a desire, hope, resolution, will, an aim, a purpose, aspire, kindness, goodwill, a small gift.


	4. Chapter 4

**Crap. I fail so hard. It's been months. I'm very sorry.**

**Crap. I will tell you this now, I can't promise regular updates, not even monthly. So expect sporadic updates from now on, until further notice. I just am not that far ahead in my notebook…**

**Sorry for the length; there's a lot in this chapter.**

* * *

><p>• <em>Italicized= thoughts <em>• *within asterisks= sound effects*

•"-sama"= confers great respect; like "Lord/Lady" •"-san"= common all-purpose honorific equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs. •"-chan"= used to express endearment, mostly toward girls. Also used for little boys, pets, even lovers; like English "-y/-ie"

• (O)**kaa**-[honorific]= "Mother" • (O)**tō**-[honorific]= "Father" • Ofukuro= informal form of "mother" • Oyaji= informal form of "father" like saying "old man"  
>• "Ojiji" and "Obaba"= informal form of "grandpa" and "grandma" • (O)<strong>nii<strong>-[honorific]= Big Brother  
>• "Ayaa"= An Okinawan dialect form of "Mother"<br>• "Bōcchama"= Young master; "chama" is from "-sama"

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 4: Yuuchi<p>

* * *

><p>"You are<strong> NEVER<strong> supposed to go to _The_ Estate at night."

*Evil Laugher!*

Shippō jumps onto Inuyasha's head.

It was Grandpa, "That's right. You're not. But you're gonna be with us so it'll be okay," he waves it off. "Now let's get a movin' people…"  
>He lets out another evil laugh, "To <em><span>The<span>_ Estate!" *randomly cue darkness, thunder and lightning!*

"Father, stop that. You're scaring everyone."

"No, shut up."  
>Grandpa turns toward everyone, then leans down at Kilala, "So…why do they have you around?"<p>

Kilala meows some things along with some paw movements.

"Ah… fantastic. That's going to make things much easier. Can you show me?"

*meow*

Sango, "Do, do you… you understand what she's saying?"

Kilala transforms.

"Great. Now let's go everyone."

Taishō, "It's best not to ask too many questions," he says slumping his shoulders.

So it is that Kilala carries Sango, Miroku and Kohaku. Taishō carries Izayoi and offers to carry Kagome due to Inuyasha's injuries.

"No, it's fine. I can do it but, um… thanks."

Kagome, "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. Now come on, besides Shippō doesn't want to get there late," he looks over to Shippō who's on Taishō's shoulder.

"Why are you over there, Shippō?" asks Kohaku.

"Because I wanna be in the safest place possible when we get there."

Sango, "How far away is it?"

"It's far, trust me," answers Myōga who is also with Taishō.

Miroku, "Mikazuki-Ojii-sama, you're not going to offer to carry anyone?"

"What? No. I don't know any of you; I don't even know the boy. Just, just leave already."

And so everyone sets off west. They go for miles, kilometers, leagues.

The sun is low on the horizon.

Kagome, "Mikazuki-Ojii-san… how much longer?"

Grandpa appears in front of Inuyasha, facing him.

This sudden appearance makes Inuyasha back up startled and almost trip.  
>"What the hell!"<p>

"We have just a little longer, child…" Grandpa returns to being _by_ Inuyasha and he runs normally again.

They run into a wooded mountainous area. They're in the central Japanese mountains and it's dark now.

Kohaku, "Why so deep in the mountains?"

Taishō, "The less likely it will be found; less disturbance."

"We're here," Grandpa says.

They pass by more trees, but if it wasn't for the darkness they would've seen that these trees had fine green vines of small blue tulip-like shaped flowers wrapped around them. And then, just like that, there's a clearing and everyone stops.

They see broad and shallow stone steps that rise slightly toward an elaborate, doorless Chinese gateway. On the fields to the left of the stairs are bushes and strange, large (taller than a person), upside-down, cone-shaped things covered in mossy plants. At the bottom of each side of the gateway is a two-foot high decorative fence. Both the gateway and fence are covered with vines of flowers.

There aren't any lights in the area. Not one single candle. The moon is only a quarter-full, but it doesn't help much.

Sango, "There aren't any guards…"

In plain view is the 'Welcoming Building.'

Everyone gets off the backs of their respective rides.

Grandpa begins walking up the steps, "Come on, children."

They follow – a bush shakes. They look and see a tail disappear into the bush. They hear crawling but don't catch what it was.

Shippō is clinging to Taishō for dear life, "S-s-s-s-see-ee-eee…?"

Kagome, "Shippō-chan, it's not that bad."

Something flies over Kagome's head – "Aiee!" she holds Inuyasha.

The wind blows cold and with it comes an old creaking sound. They see that in the fields to the right is a single large black tree. The gnarled branches look like skeleton hands, beckoning them closer…  
>A silhouette scurries down the trunk.<p>

"Dearest…?"

"Don't worry," he says through a smile.

As they get closer to the gate they see multiple eyes in the bushes – a snarl – something shrieks sharply and then the sound chokes away…

More things move and crawl and run, hiding – something runs through Miroku's feet! He jumps.

They get to the top-most step and there's something on top of the gateway, encircling it…

"_Saah!_"

A huge python shoots out with its jaws spread open toward Taishō's face. Shippō jumps out of his skin falling and the rest of the gang jolts back.

Taishō, calm, still smiling, says to the set of jaws that stopped before his face, "Good night, Hakujoō-san. It's nice to know you're still alive."

The jaws close. It's a white python - "White Queen" - its scales glow eerily in the slight moonlight, and speaking through sighs and hisses, "Ah… Taishō-samaaa… Aren't you _ss_upposed to be dead…?"

"I-it talks…" says Kagome while clinging to Inuyasha, and his mother clings to him too.

Grandpa gets closer, "We're back from the dead, is all."

"Mikazuki-samaaa~" more of the python slithers out, moving in an S-motion. She then hovers above and past Taishō's shoulder, "And who are th_ese_ humansss?" her tongue flickers out.

"They're not to eat."

"I sseee…" she pulls back, "Well…you've always been an odd bunch… Should I inform the servitude…?"

Grandpa, "That's fine. You just go back to whatever you were doing."

"Of cour_ss_e…Enjoy yourselvess~" she slithers down the column.

The gang stares on in horror at how much of her there is. She disappears into the bushes.

They walk onto the courtyard and Grandpa lets out a sharp loud whistle.

A stampede of feet, doors open; papers lanterns shoot out across the courtyard, light up; metal lanterns hanging on the roof light up; the front rooms brighten; doors open to people rushing out arranging themselves, roof tiles clack to people arranging themselves, on the courtyards and verandas and inside – dozens of servants and now all is lit. All are kneeling, a hand over their heart and the other behind their back, in unison, "Your orders, sir!"

The gang, wide-eyed, blinks at the sudden appearance of so many servants and lights.

"Wow…"

Grandpa, "Nice to know the boy hasn't let you slow down."

Some of the young adult servants look, "Wait… is that? No…"  
>The servants who are older stand up, "Th-that's…"<br>"It's Mikazuki-sama!"  
>"And, and Roshi-sama!"<br>"Taishō!"  
>They talk and begin to stand amazed.<p>

Grandpa, "That's right! We're back from the dead!"

A servant- *gasp!* "Mikazuki-sama warned that if we slacked off on our duties that he'd rise from his grave to punish us!"  
>"And now he's risen from his grave to do it!"<br>"See! Don't ever doubt his word!"  
>They hug in fear.<p>

"Exactly! Have you been slacking off while I've been dead?"

"NOO!"

"Hah, unfortunately for you I've been brought back in the body of my prime – nothing like having two working legs~!" he kicks the air with his left leg.

Taishō, "Can you treat Inuyasha's injuries?"

"Of course we can, master!"  
>"Anything for you!"<br>"…wait, but…er…"  
>"Who is Inu…yasha?"<p>

Grandpa, "The boy in red," walks over and directs a hand at him, "This here is… Roshi's son," puts arm around Inuyasha and grabs his ear, "I mean look at these ears, aren't they fabulous?"  
>"Hey!"<p>

"Yes, my lord, they are."  
>"The ears are adorable~!"<br>"They're the best doggy-ears I've seen!"

Inuyasha barks at the servants, "Shut up!"

"Sorry, Inuyasha-sama…"

Two servants walk over to him and grab him by each arm while two others arrive with a stretcher, "Let's go treat those wounds~!"  
>"Come on, Bōcchama~!"<br>They put him on the stretcher and quickly leave.

Kagome, "Inuyasha!"

Taishō waves, "Give a massage too while you're at it~!"

"Yessir!"

Inuyasha half gets up, "Wait, what're… Oyaji!"  
>"Please lie down, Bōcchama~" they push him down, turn a corner, and are gone.<p>

Miroku, "That was…"  
>Sango, "…odd."<p>

Grandpa gives the servants more orders. He points at one group, "You! set up rooms for us to stay in."  
>"Yessir!" they leave.<br>Points at another, "And you! prepare information in regards to all the events that have taken place since my death."  
>"Yes, my lord!" they vanish.<br>Points, "You! get things ready for a grand party."  
>"Of course!" heal-turn and gone.<br>Points at others, "And you! go make some goddamn dinner."  
>"Right away!"<br>"The rest of you! Leave."  
>And so virtually everyone is gone.<p>

Then he turns around to the gang again, placing his hands palm-up, fingers pointing to the doors, "And now, please enter the building and await your tour guide."

* * *

><p>Grandpa and Taishō have left the gang at the Greeting Lounge. Myōga has also left, but he's probably just hopping around saying hi to everyone at The Estate. They wait for awhile, gazing at the size and elegance of the place while contemplating what it must mean to have a 'greeting lounge.' A door opens and there stands before them a tall yellow and white figure.<p>

"Ah, you must be the masters' human guests. Good night. Come with me, I'll take you all to your rooms." He wears a white short-sleeved kosode with white hakama, and a yellow sleeveless version of the top Jaken wears. His hair is a silvery-gold tied in a low ponytail in the back, with hair framing the sides of his face past the jaw line, and narrow yellow eyes.

The gang hesitates a little but follows. As they walk through the halls, the ones open to the outdoors, they hear more scurrying and creaking.

"As long as you are in the company of one of the Masters or a servant, you won't be attacked and devoured."

"Eh!"

"Especially in my company."

Kohaku, "Why?"

"I am the Head Servant of _The_ Estate."

"Oh?"

The man looks to be in his mid-20s.

Kagome, "What's your name?"

"My name is Muōka, Bōcchama's-wife."

Miroku, "Mu-ō-ka?" he pauses, "How is it spelled?"

"'There are no cherry blossoms.'"  
><em>Mu<em> as in 'void.' _Ō_ as in 'sakura' – cherry blossoms, and _ka_ as in 'hana' – flower.  
>And he says this smiling, like there was nothing off about it, he even laughs a little behind that ever-passive smile, and continues walking.<p>

"My father named me in honor of the family. The Sakura are almost the opposites of the tree from which the family derives its name – almost rivals," he stops at the door, opens it, "Here are your rooms Monk and his wife," saying it with a calmness that would suggest he didn't just say any of that.

~~Meanwhile~~

Grandpa sits on the veranda of a higher floor, his legs hanging out through the openings of the railings, arms crossed above him resting on the railings, and resting his forehead on his arms. He looks at the vast field spotted with buildings, eventually becoming forest.

"Are you sure?" asks Taishō who stands next to him.

"Yeah… It's their scent, and they're coming this way."

The wind blows into their faces. He's right.

"I can't wait for everyone to get here," he smiles grabbing the railings, leans back and looks up at his son, "And of course, we'll invite Sesshōmaru."

Taishō looks a little uneasy.

"What's wrong?"

"…Hopefully it will be over nothing. Otō-sama, dinner should be ready now, shouldn't it? We should join them."

"…Yeah," he grabs the tops of the railings and slips his legs out.

Who knows? Maybe Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru get along now… it has been a long time. Hopefully they do…  
><em>Please<em>.  
>I don't want them to see what's become of the family, of what's left…<p>

* * *

><p>The gang (minus Inuyasha) sits at a long table. Taishō and Grandpa show up. Taishō sits next to Izayoi and Grandpa sits at the head of the table, in a way.<p>

He sits leaning on the wall facing the head of the table, and rests him arms on his raised knees.

Kagome, "Mikazuki-Ojii-san, aren't you going to eat?"

"No, I'm not hungry actually."

The servants come in files through two doors opposite each other with trays of shining, steaming food, setting them down before Sango and everyone. Another passes by, kneeling before Sango and opens a black box. In it are many colorful, lacquered, finely carved chop sticks.

"Which would you like as yours?"

She notices that Taishō was already given his – seems they remember.

She picks a pink one – coral. Kohaku, a yellow one – amber. Miroku purple, Kagome green, Shippō orange, and Izayoi a light blue (you could say it was to match Taishō's blue one). And so the group prepares to eat food that far surpasses any meal that they have ever been given, by anyone, including Izayoi.

They thank that they were given such an opportunity (especially Shippō) and eat the dinner that was made for emperors and die. Of deliciousness.

After dinner Izayoi and Kagome ask to be taken to Inuyasha and they find him in his own infirmary room. He sits shirtless, bandaged, cross-legged, scarfing down the plates of food brought to him and they notice that his exquisite chop sticks are red.

"Kagome, Ofukuro, how are you?" asking with cheeks full of food.

"Fine. How are you Inuyasha?"

*Eats* "I'm fine – I feel great really *gulp* I've never felt this good before, ever."

"?"

"These guys really know what they're doing," he stretches, "I think they even fixed my back."

Servant girls *gasp* "We got a compliment from Bōcchama! Yay!" *highfive*

"And the food is incredible too." *eats*

Another highfive – "Anything for you Bōcchama!"  
>"Which is why you got better food than the humans did!"<p>

What?

*gulp* He rubs his side, "Damn that old man-!" *_krash!_*  
>Inuyasha jumps, as do the women, and there, leaning on the door, is Grandpa.<p>

He heard that and threw a rock at one of Inuyasha's plates.

"Y-you psycho!"

"Be quiet boy. Come on, let's go with everyone else."

"O-okay…"

* * *

><p>Everyone sits together in the large lounging room, but again, Taishō and Grandpa have gone away.<p>

Miroku, "Inuyasha, from the little that we've seen, this is certainly an impressive estate you'll be inheriting."

Inuyasha, "_Inheriting_?"

"Of course. You are the Great Dog General's son after all, and you're the heir of the Tetsusaiga."

"Keh! You think Sesshōmaru's going to let me have anything? He doesn't give a rat's ass that we're-"

"Ah ah ah, okay okay calm down. Quit it!"  
>They look at the door. On the other side of it Grandpa is being pushed from his lower back by a pair of hands.<br>"Come on~! I want to see!"  
>"I'm taking you now. Now stop that."<p>

The door opens. It's Grandpa, "There, happy now?" he leans on the door. Next to him is a woman, behind them Taishō with a little girl hanging off his back.

Grandpa looks down at the woman, who is noticeably much shorter compared to Grandpa and Taishō who stand at about 6'3''/190.5 cm, while she's about 4'9''/145 cm.

He points at Inuyasha, "The one in red."

"Oohhh~"

The little girl gasps too. The woman runs over to Inuyasha and grabs his ears - *bloop bloop bloop* *bwoop bwoop bwoop*  
>The girl stands behind her, "I'm next Ayaa, I'm next!"<br>*bloop bloop*

Inuyasha makes a face, but she keeps on smiling.

Grandpa, "Say hi to your granny and auntie, child."

"My…?" _She's…_  
>He looks down at her, "You're my grandmother?"<p>

*bloop* "Huh?" she stops touching his ears, "If you're Roshi's son, then that's just who I am," she smiles and continues to grab his ears.

"O…Obaba…" he looks at her, ignoring the ear-grabbing.

She has round yellow eyes, a lot like his own. White hair with split bangs that reach down to mid-neck framing her face; the rest tied at mid-shoulder. She has a dark pine-green upside-down triangle mark on each cheek. An aqua 'flower' on her forehead: it's a dot, with a curved 'v' beneath it, and down-facing crescents under each side of the 'v.' Grandma has a soft, round face with a small nose.  
>She's in a black kimono tied by a wide yellow sash that's a big bow in the back. The shoulders are split showing a red kimono underneath, and at the collar it can be seen there's a white kosode under that. She also has on a pair of white tabi.<p>

If you looked carefully, you would see a soft red color in the corners of her eyes from having shed tears at the news that all of her children had died before their time, but for now she smiled at this new addition of what little was left.

She stops grabbing his ears, "Ah…" sets her hands lightly on her lap as she sits, "You look like a good boy."

Inuyasha stares at her wide-eyed, watching every muscle in her face turn into a smile. There's something sad about it, but also something so _kind_ too… a mother. His grandmother, "Granny-"

"Yay! Now it's my turn!" the little girl leaps onto Inuyasha, grabbing his ears.

"Ah! What the hell?" he tries to pull her off.

Taishō, "Miji, don't be so rough with him."

The girl looks to be about 10, 11-years-old. Her neck-length white hair curls into her face with some curly bangs. She has the same marks on her cheeks as Grandma, but her eyes are an ivy green and she has a red line on her upper eyelids like Taishō and Sesshōmaru.

Inuyasha stands up still trying to pull her off but she holds on tightly to his ears, "They're so soft~! Roshi-nii, why couldn't your other-"

"Ah! Get. Off. Of. Me!"

Myōga, hops onto Grandpa's shoulder, and unfazed by the spectacle before him unlike the rest of the gang comments, "Hmm… Interesting. Mijirin-sama was brought back as a child… then again Mikazuki-sama and Udui-sama were brought back younger than the age they died at too, but… well I guess with Mijirin-sama it would be more logical that she was brought back to _that_ age."

Meanwhile Inuyasha runs around the room as a little girl who is also, amusingly enough, dressed in red hangs off his ears laughing.

"Help! Why're you just standing there?"

"Because it's funny to watch boy," responds Grandpa. He puts an arm around Taishō, "Ain't that right, Roshi? I mean look at this: family bonding. It's beautiful…"

"Aaaah…!"  
>"Hold still, Inuyo-chan! I'm your auntie, so you better listen ta' what I say~!"<p>

This little one, Aunt Mijirin or Auntie Miji, wears a red kimono with a pink version of the pattern Sesshōmaru wears. A pink sash tied into a bow in the back. Around her neck is a green scarf with blue river patterns like Sesshōmaru's sash tied into a bow almost as wide as her head, with the ends hanging down to her knees. On her wrists is a silver bracelet with four red rubies in it.

Grandpa pats his son's back, "Okay, go get her," with that Taishō goes and releases Inuyasha from Auntie's grasp. Inuyasha backs away twitching as Taishō holds her.

She runs in the air arms stretched out toward him, "But but… I wanta!"

Fear of Auntie: instilled and confirmed.

Grandma looks toward the gang, practically barely realizing that anyone who didn't have white hair was in the room. She turns to her husband, "Mika, who are they?"

He walks over to her, "The miko's his woman, and-"  
>"A miko?"<br>"Yeah, I know. He's funny like that. The rest are his friends."  
>"Oh…"<p>

Myōga hops to Izayoi, "And Udui-sama, this lovely young lady is Inuyasha's mother, Izayoi. She's also been brought back from the dead."

Izayoi pauses feeling her face begin to burn. She looks at Grandpa and Grandma and it really dawns on her…  
>These are his parents – her <em>in-laws<em>…  
>Who are demons…<p>

They're staring at her.

It's **his** parents. In the flesh. Brought back from the dead as they looked back when Taishō was growing up; Grandpa looking in his late-30s, early 40s, and Grandma in her mid-30s.

And here they are.

Just hours ago she saw father-in-law cracking skulls of monsters and a hair's breath away from decapitating her own son despite him wielding Tetsusaiga, something forged from their _own_ son's fang.

And they live here.

From what's she seen they live on an incredibly lavish estate that surpasses anything she's seen before.

Forget any possible human in-laws, they –

And here they are.

Auntie, still being held by Taishō, points at Izayoi, "What's up with her?"

Taishō's brows furrow into worry.

Izayoi suddenly puts her hands on the floor and bows until her forehead touches the ground.

"Ofukuro?"

"It's a great honor to meet you parents. I understand that the circumstances must be unusual; when I bore your son a child, unfortunately both of you had already passed on. My apologies for the lack of formalities and rituals," she stays low.

Kagome, "Okaa-san, I'm sure they understand…!"

Grandpa leans in to Grandma and whispers, in another language at that:_  
>-I think we scared her out of her wits without trying...<br>-She's respectful at least?  
>-Doesn't seem like too much of a brat…<br>-Well Mika…?  
>-´Nn? (yeah)<br>_*shrug*

Inuyasha's ears twitch, "What're they saying?" he turns to Taishō, who is twitching out of worry.

Grandpa, "Get up, child."  
>Izayoi raises her head.<p>

Grandpa stands, "Fine then, let's move on to other matters," he says looking to the side.

There's a group sweatdrop among everyone else who isn't Grandma and Grandpa.

Grandpa claps his hands together interlacing his fingers with the exception of the pointers which stay straight up, "Well~ everyone's here, almost, but not quite," his arm sweeps low, "We just have to wait a little longer before we can host a grand magnificent party."

"Party?"

"Of course! How can we not have one? We're all back from the **dead**. This deserves the greatest and grandest most dazzling and utterly magnificent absolutely stunningly spectacular party-on-the-scale-of-an-all-out-festival ever before held!"

To think the man said that on less than a breath.

Grandma looks up at him, "You really think Aki is going to come?"

"Naturally, if anything he's on his way… and then we can celebrate!" *dramatic finger point to the sky!* the other hand on his hip.

Auntie is in front of him doing the same pose, "Celebray-shuuuuhn!"

There might as well be a star behind them.

Shippō, quietly, "Inuyasha's family is definitely…"

Kagome, "Yeah…"

Izayoi and the others nod slowly.

* * *

><p>Grandpa and Auntie have since left, leaving everyone else to chat with each other. It's been awhile.<p>

"Obaa-chan, what were you and Ojii-san speaking earlier?"

"Oh, Mika and I were speaking in Uchinaa-"  
>*<em>Wham!<em>*

One of the doors was kicked open, and speak of the devil, by Grandpa. He leans on the door, his hair undone into a mess of ragged wavy white hair down his face, down his shoulders, and down his back stopping at his waist. His sleeves are unfolded and untied, as is the top button of his shirt.

"Alright children, time to knock off to bed."

"Eh?"

Auntie pops up from her father's shoulder, pointing a finger at them, "Yeah! It's time for all of you ta' getta bed!"

"There, there…" he passes his hand through her bangs revealing that she has the same mark on her forehead as her mother.

"It is late…"

Grandma, "Good night everyone," she gets up going to their side.

Another door opens; it's servants.

"Please follow me."

The sleeping arrangements are: Inuyasha with Kagome, Sango with Miroku, Taishō with Izayoi, and Kohaku with Shippō and Kilala.

_END OF DAY 1_

* * *

><p><em>DAY 2<em>

Sunrise. Inuyasha sits up suddenly.

Kagome, "…Inuyasha? What is it…?"

He walks over to the door opening it quickly. On the other side, about to knock, is the yellow-dog servant Muōka.

"Good morning, Inuyasha-Bōcchama. I see you rise with the sun. Wonderful."

"What do you want?"

"I have arrived to fetch you, Bōcchama, so that you may accompany the Masters – you dear relatives – to the first meal of the day."

"… 'kay…"

~~Meanwhile~~

Taishō turns over. He looks over at Izayoi's sleeping face in the pale golden morning light. She looks exactly like the last time he saw her – like picking up where the left off…

He brushes her hair away from her face, caresses it, waking her.

"Good morning."

She smiles.

A kiss… and another… and another and the door slams open – light rushes in – "Get up boy!"

Those poor doors, oh how Grandpa enjoys opening them with kicks. At least he allows them to slide instead of completely busting them…

"Ah!" goes Taishō, "Eee!" goes Izayoi, "Hwhoh!" goes Grandpa.

"Otō-sama!" he shouts while jumping out of bed. He didn't sense him at all. He must have made his aura and scent disappear again – damn that habit of his.

"Otō-sama, what do you think you're doing?"

"Making sure you're not late for joining your father, your mother, your little sister, your son, your daughter-in-law and all of their companions~ …to breakfast."

Taishō stands while Izayoi stays under the covers.

"Otō-sama… why are you…"

"You're not naked under there, are you?"

Izayoi, "No!"  
>That's the truth.<p>

"Otō-sama! Stop-!"

"Need I remind you that I am your _father_; you are _my_ son, regardless of whether you are five, ten, fifty, two hundred or a thousand years old; that you are under **my** roof which I bleed for and sweat over, worked to gain and build; and that I have been resurrected to the body of my prime with two good legs? And I am not limited to only that: I have centuries of knowledge, experience, and skills acquired after I was in this state to add at present on top of that. And that I have no qualms about whooping your ass over my knee. In front of your woman."

"…a-ah…"

Grandpa then throws himself at Taishō, throwing his arms around his shoulders, and letting his knees buckle so that Taishō has to catch Grandpa to prevent him from sliding to the ground.

"Oh but you would never hurt _me_ would you? No, no, no, you would not," he rests his head on the side of Taishō's chest, "Huh, I can't even let myself faint in your arms without contorting your face into something so worrisome…"

Taishō does look concerned, "Father…"

Grandpa looks up at him, "You always forgive me somehow. And you like me – for some strange reason that I've never been fully able to understand…" he drops his head on his son's chest again, "I've never quite understood how someone so honorable and near-saintly-like as you could like someone as wretchedly wicked and wild as me…"

His eyebrows twist into worried confusion, "There's something wrong with you. It's my fault no doubt. Probably runs in the blood," he shrugs while still holding Taishō, "May be why there's so much 'something's-wrong'…"

Taishō pats his back, "It's okay, I…"

He looks up at him again, "You're a good boy…" he says through a strained smile with a frantic stare.

He stands up straight again – a kiss on the cheek – turns around and walks away, "Hurry up then~" he closes the door behind him.

~~At the breakfast table~~

Everyone's eating. Grandparents at the head of the table; Inuyasha and Taishō and their women on their left; the rest at their right; Auntie is right across from Inuyasha.

She finishes her last bowl slamming it down on the table, "Okay, I'm done!" she jumps over the table and grabs Inuyasha's ears while the rest of her body slams into his face!

"Aaah!" Inuyasha falls back releasing his sticks and kicking the table sending food flying!

"Whoa!"  
>"Inuyasha!"<br>"My clothes!"

Grandpa, Grandma, and Taishō still have their bowls in their hands and act as though the table wasn't just flipped.

Inuyasha on his back, kicking, "Get off! Get off! I can't breathe!"

Kagome tries to help him. Izayoi looks in all directions at the chaos and at the serenity of the other three white-hairs.

Grandma, "Such a lively morning, isn't it Mika?"  
>Grandpa, "Makes you nostalgic, doesn't it?"<br>*_relaxed sigh_* in unison; they both have such peaceful smirks.

Taishō, calmly, to Izayoi, "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"But-"

"Help! Get 'er off!"

"It'll be fine."

*boing boing boing* *_Shlurrrrp_* *Slap!*

A flat Myōga floats down into Taishō's hand.

Grandpa, "Holy crap, Myōga, where the hell have you been? I was staring to think you had ditched us, but then why would you run away from _here_?"

Myōga refills with a pop, "Last night I left by crow to inform Tōtōsai about all of your resurrections, and guess who I found there?"

Inuyasha, "Get off of me, please!"

Suddenly she hops off, "Who? Who? Who!"

"Akiyo-sama."

Their eyes widen.

Sango, now standing and picking rice off her apron, "Which relative is he?"

Taishō responds, "He's my older brother," he smiles, but there's something else to it…

Inuyasha mutters, "Older?" he thinks of Sesshōmaru.

"He said he would be here by the afternoon."

~~Mid-day~~

"Come on come on," it's Grandpa leading everyone outside to a plaza.

Izayoi feels her hand grabbed, it's Taishō. He smiles at her, but there's something sad about it, and his eyes are pleading.

"Don't," he mouths. He squeezes her hand.

"I see him!"

In the sky is Tōtōsai on his cow, and someone sitting behind him.

Grandpa, "Yes, now we just need one more and we can start celebrating like drunk idiots!"

Inuyasha, "Drunk idiots?"

"Yeah. The only thing you need left is a few drinks and you'll fit ri~ight in."

"What's that!"  
>Kagome hold his arm back.<p>

Tōtōsai lands in front of them.

"I'm last to show, huh?" says Uncle Akiyo with his head hung low.

Izayoi holds onto her robes- _Wait… this man… he, he…_

He's in dark red hakama with black slippers that cover the tops of his feet. A black long-sleeved top with a Mandarin collar and yellow fringe on the edges, but this top is mostly covered up by a dark blue shawl-like mozzetta. It reaches down almost to his waist with fur trim on the bottom; a blue strap under the collar attached to an elaborate gold button on the left, and a decorative light blue bow on the right.

His hair is short and white, tied into a simple braid. Bangs cut straight and split, with the exception of a lock in the middle of the right side that reaches mid-cheek. He has the same forehead mark as his mother and broad dark pine-green vertical lines beginning from his lower-eyelid reaching all the way down to his jawline.

Akiyo raises his head up showing his yellow eyes with red lines on the upper eyelids.

Izayoi turns a little pale, but Taishō holds her hand, then lets go and walks over.

"Aki-nii, don't worry, you're not _that_ late."

Akiyo smiles serenely, and hops off the cow. It's seen that he has a blue sheathed and hilted sword hanging by a brown strap over his right hip blade-down.

He looks around at everyone, his expression the same. He looks over at his brother then to Izayoi behind him and tips his head slightly at her, smiling still.

Akiyo walks over at Taishō, "Myōga told me about your little boy," he stops in front of him. They're the same height. "Which is he?"

Auntie points at Inuyasha frantically, "Him! Him him himmmmm!"

"Oh," he walks over to this nephew.

Grandma, "Go on, Inuyo, say hi to your Uncle Aki."

"Uh…"

Akiyo bends down to be eye-level with him, then unfolding his crossed arms from under his mozzetta grabs an ear with his left hand.

"…."  
><em>At least he's gentle about it…<em>  
>Inuyasha's finally resigned to it.<p>

Akiyo finishes touching, "How sweet," and taps Inuyasha's nose.

The rest of the family gathers around him. Plans, news and such are mentioned, but during it all Izayoi stands outside of them along with Taishō. She looks at him and he gives her a reassuring expression.

There's nothing to worry about. It never happened.

She relaxes.

Grandpa, "Now all we need is the boy to show up!" he whistles.

*Servant* "My lord?"

"I'm going to write a letter and send it."

Awhile later he returns with paper, a fairly sharp and fierce-looking black bird, and writing utensils.

"What are you going to write him?"

"To get his ass over here as soon as possible of course!" he's already writing away.

Tōtōsai, "Hmm…hopefully all goes well…"

"Well if it doesn't we'll fix it!" he signs off on the letter, lets it dry, and begins to circle Taishō with it.

"Father, why are you doing that…?"

"What? He has to believe this letter somehow. What better way than with your scent?"  
>He rubs the string on Taishō before using it to tie the letter and attach it to the bird's ankle.<p>

"Find Sesshōmaru," and it flies off.

* * *

><p>The black bird sits on Ah-Un's saddle while Rin and Jaken stand nearby.<p>

Rin, "Lord Sesshōmaru, are you okay?"

Jaken, "Is something the matter?"

Sesshōmaru holds the letter, gripping it, trembling, "I-Impossibe…!"

* * *

><p><em>Now... <em>

_for the story to really begin…_


	5. Chapter 5

**Yeah, just give up on me and timely publishing of chapters. Alert this story and sit back, read other fics in the mean time, and wait for that update e-mail. **

**Don't get me wrong, I **_will_ **flippin finish this story else my death, incapacitation, or the end of the goddamn world as we know it.**

**Oh, and this has nothing to do with nothing but… I'll be going to San Diego State University in the fall~ :D**

* * *

><p>• <em>Italicized= thoughts<em>  
>•"-sama"= confers great respect; like "LordLady"  
>• Chichi-ue= archaic polite form of "Father" • Oyaji= informal form of "father" like saying "old man"<p>

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 5: Ichichi<p>

* * *

><p>~~Earlier~~<p>

Sesshōmaru is a good distance away from Kaede's village but still relatively close. He and his group are sitting under a tree together. Rin holds up a paper and brush. She's been writing.

"Lord Sesshōmaru here," she tries to look up at Sesshōmaru. She's sitting on his lap and he has his arms around her, and his head rests on her hair, his eyes closed.

"Hm?" he raises his head and takes the paper reading aloud: "...'Sesshōmaru-sama, Rin, Jakin, and Ah-Un sat under a tree on a sunny day, relaxing and spending time together.'"

"How did I do?"

"You spelled 'Jaken' wrong."

Jaken glances over at her.

"Oh…"

"You wrote 'ki' instead of 'ke.'

"I'm sorry for spelling your name wrong Jaken-sama."

"Otherwise you did well."

It occurred to Sesshōmaru, some time ago, to teach Rin to read. Rin _is_ his after all, even if Kaede 'took her away' so she could learn 'human habits' again.

"Rin," he puts his hand on her head, about to say something – wanting to say something…  
><em>It's been long enough for her to learn… hasn't it?<em>

She's his. His to care for and protect, and he wants her to be 'better' than _those_ humans – it's why he's teaching her to read. He didn't literally go to hell and back for some _peasant-girl_… he went for _his little girl_.

"Lord Sesshōmaru…?"

Sesshōmaru takes her face into his hands, touching his forehead against hers, "Never mind," and he nuzzles her nose.

Rin giggles nuzzling back.

The smell of demons is on her: his, Jaken's, and Ah-Un's, and even though she hasn't been with them everyday like before it's still there… just like Rin's is still on him.

Why should he let that fade – let their scents separate? Why should she smell like a rustic and ordinary human and live her life in a village…? A mundane rut of an existence like the rest, working the fields day in and day out, only to grow old and die… and for what?

With him she could… with him she'd live a better life. She could do so much more with it – have so many more experiences – see so many sights! Learn things beyond any of those feeble-minded drones could ever dream of…!

No. No… their scents should stay together – it's **proof**.

Father's scent faded from everything he ever touched and from Sesshōmaru himself so very long ago…

It's proof. In a whiff it should be known that they're a group, an unusual one albeit, but that they're together… just like a fa—

Sesshōmaru tightens his grip forgetting that he has her face in his hands; Rin gasps sharply in shock at the firmness.

Sesshōmaru looks at her letting go, and whispers "I'm sorry." He lifts her off his lap and walks out beyond the tree's shade staring into the sky.

Jaken, "My lord, what's the matter?"

"It's… from _The_ Estate."

"Estate?" echoes Rin, but then Jaken asks, "Estate? But I thought you didn't have a home…"

Sesshōmaru only visits _The_ Estate when business calls for it because, although the servants still live there…

There's that saying: Home is where the heart is… and Sesshōmaru's heart left with his father. By then everyone else was gone, and he no longer had a _home_.

Sesshōmaru keeps squinting into the blue sky until he sees what he was expecting: the black messenger bird's wings. As it gets closer so do the details of the smell but, but…

"What?"

The bird gets closer so Sesshōmaru outstretches his left arm. It lands very gently on his arm and he walks over to Ah-Un where the bird transfers onto the saddle. Sesshōmaru firmly fixes his stare on it.

"Aren't you going to see what the message says?"

But he keeps still- _Is this a trick?_ He reaches out and takes the letter bringing it close- _This must be a trick but…_

He unfolds it and lets out a disbelieving "No" but it is.

That writing… it's…

_~~ Dear Sesshōmaru – didididih! Shhhh… look, don't freak out._

_Don't worry. Calm down. Breathe… take in the whiffs – and yes. This __**is**__ my scent, my writing, it's all me, your Grandfather Mikazuki, who passed away, quietly, about two, three hundred years ago. On top of that – you better hold on to something (well I don't know what the state of your nerves are these days, but whenever it concerned him it always strained them…) – this __**is**__ your Chichi-ue's scent. It really is. He's right here~ standing just like before, good and tall._

_I'm sorry… my deepest apologies – I'm very sorry, about him passing away, about everyone… When you've awakened from the dead… the last thing you want to hear is that everyone who you left behind… _died_. _

_I know I didn't embed their scents into the letter, but everyone else is here too. Your Nana, Akiyo and Miji – we're here on these grounds again, but I doubt for long. I give us a few weeks._

_I know this is all far too incredible to believe… but at least come over to verify all of this. If it __were__ intruders trying to lure you with some twisted trick, you should take care of it. How could such a high-standing lord permit such audacity to take place on his grounds?_

_But (as far as I'm aware) we're all here. I'm sure your father would love to see you again._

_Thank you for not having torn or dissolved this letter so soon._

_We'll be waiting for you…  
>Love, Gramps ~~<em>

"Lord Sesshōmaru, are you okay?"  
>"Is something the matter?"<p>

Sesshōmaru's trembling hands grip the letter, "I-impossible…!"

"Lord Sesshōmaru?"

He silently gulps, puts the letter away, grabs Ah-Un's harness and gets on. Without looking turning to them, "We're going."

"But what about Kaede-sama?"

"…Rin."

She looks on at him. She can't recall the last time she saw him so shaken…  
>"Okay," and she tries to give him a reassuring smile.<p>

Jaken and Rin join him on Ah-Un's back, behind and in front of him respectively and together they set off for _The_ Estate. The dragon flies west and after some time Sesshōmaru speak but as though from afar, "My father is back from the dead."

Both his followers look at him.

"As is my grandfather. And the rest of my family."

Rin stares at her master's face whose eyes are locked before him.

He does not look cool, he does not look composed. He's trying to hold his expression taut but the nerves show all his worry, fear and hope.

Everyone holds on a little tighter.

* * *

><p>Taishō walks out to the Eastern edge of <em><span>The<span>_ Estate's stone grounds.

"How long do you think until he gets here?"

He turns around to find Inuyasha there with his arms in his sleeves looking up at the sky.

"Huh… soon, I hope…" he looks down.

"Hey, Oyaji…"

His eyes flick to his son.

"You look pretty strung out."

"…I've been dead for half his life, and," he sighs looking away, "he wasn't _happy_ the last time I saw him…"

"He misses you."

They look at each other, Taishō surprised.

"He… he lost his way for awhile, and he hasn't been _nice_… but he misses you."

Taishō smiles wearily and turns away slowly tilting his head to the sky, "Missing me doesn't he'll forgive me..."

"Huh?"

~~Meanwhile within _The_ Estate~~

Sango, Izayoi, and Kagome stand with Granny Udui who is now wearing a fancy white kimono with short sleeves tied by a black obi and a long thin red sash tied in the front that has fluff balls at the end, and her hair is in a ponytail now. She has her hands gripped together near her chest and she seems to be hopping, "Everyone's almo~ost here…! Oh, I can't wait to see how much he's grown – and seeing everyone together again-!"

"Ah~ but we've never been **all** present."

They turn to see Grandpa Mikazuki in black hakama with a long yellow sash tied in a bow; ends hanging to his knees. A modified black Chinese shirt with one rectangular button at the collarbone. It has a high collar and delicate yellow imprints. He has yellow gloves that stop before his knuckles and are buttoned at the side where the palms are.

"Mikka you shaved! And you straightened your hair~!" she claps her hands.

Sango asks, "You haven't?"

"No. We died before lil' Inuyo was born, and now that he's here… we can truly be _all toghether~_"

Kagome smiles, "You're both really excited. I hope the best for you!" she bows.

* * *

><p>Taishō sees something appear in the sky. Inuyasha stays back. When Sesshōmaru's face comes into view he stops Ah-Un's in the sky.<p>

He looks down to his father… _  
>That face… that gentle and warm smiling face… Chichi-ue…<br>_He snaps the reigns and Ah-Un descends.

Jaken slips off the tail and Sesshōmaru swings his legs off and gets off, standing with his body titled toward the direction of Ah-Un's tail. He keeps a hand on the saddle as he stares with wide trembling eyes… He bites his lips.

Taishō stands there, smiling, "You've grown into a quite a young man…"

Sesshōmaru says nothing. Taishō takes a step closer.

* * *

><p>"I think the boy's here," Grandpa turns toward Izayoi, "You know, why don't you go join Hroshi?"<p>

"Hm?"

"Someone needs to pry them off each other~" he smiles.

Granny looks toward a servant, "Escort her will you?"

* * *

><p>"Don't worry, it's me. Don't I smell the same?"<p>

Sesshōmaru lets go of the saddle and begins to step closer.

"That's it, come here…" Taishō opens his arms a little.

"…eh… Chichi-ue…"

"Hmph, I think your hair is as long as mine now – and you have Tenseiga~!"

Sesshōmaru takes more steps and reaches his hand out.

"Heh, your robes look like Miji's too~"

A sharp sound of repression – don't. Don't. You can hold it back… "Chichi-ue," he says with more strength.

His little boy trying so desperately to keep himself composed, and that's why he sinks into his arms, so that he can hold on to something strong; why he's holding on so tight as he buries his face in his shoulder, so that it can't be seen.

Taishō embraces him, placing a hand on his head and leaning his face to Sesshōmaru, "There, there, Sesshōmaru… it's okay. I'm here… _I'm __**here**_."

The worry on Rin's face melts into relief.

And then Sesshōmaru's hands, which were gripping the back of his beloved father's robes, suddenly let go; his eyes, squeezed shut from the flood of memories, suddenly open wide… his breath catches and he feels his heartbeat shift.

Taishō enjoys the hug but hears a cold, "You brought her here?"

"What?"

Sesshōmaru pulls himself away, keeping his eyes low, "You… brought. Her. **Here?**"

Taishō lets go, gasping sharply, "Sesshōmaru, are you… you can't possibly—"  
>His head snaps up, burning, "You brought <strong>her <strong>_**here?**_"  
>"You can't still—"<br>"What are you doing bring _that _**woman **to The Estate? – our family estate!"  
>"Sesshōmaru it's been 200 years!"<p>

Inuyasha's eyes widen and he steps forward, "Sesshōmaru what the hell's that supposed to mean?"  
>"This is supposed to be our home… for our family! Where we'd have no disturbances – just peace – just <strong>us!<strong>" he yells to his father.  
>Inuyasha, "She's <em>my <em>_**mother!**_"  
>"She doesn't deserve to be here!"<p>

"What kind of messed up logic is that?"  
>"You have no idea what happened—"<br>"Whatever it is, that's no reason to hold some twisted grudge against my mother!"

"Sesshōmaru, why are you blaming her? Why haven't you let this go?"  
>"Yeah, isn't Bakusaiga and the regeneration of you arm supposed to show maturity?"<br>"His arm—?"  
>"Yes. Inuyasha cut my left arm off <em>with Tetsusaiga<em>. That's how he used your heirloom – against his brother!"  
>"You did what?"<br>"That's because you were fucking trying to eat me!"  
>"Why would I <em>ever <em>want to eat some filthy little **half-breed** like you!"  
>"You bastard, why I oughta…"<p>

And Taishō's eyes trembled, his mouth parted, as he watches his children tear at each other with words…  
>"—you tried to kill me with the Wind Scar…"<br>and to realize how broken their relationship must have been—  
>"Well excuse me for not having more <em>affection<em> for a **jerk like you** who fucking abandoned me!"  
>Has been—<br>"I should rip out that vile tongue of yours…"  
><em>Is.<em>  
>"—you punched me through the gut with your own poisonous hand 'cuz you wanted a damn sword!"<br>This isn't how… trying to kill each other… maiming each other… hatred…

No. Not **this**.

"I-Inuyasha…?"

They all turn to Izayoi.

Everyone's eyes widened, but Sesshōmaru's hair stood on end…

"How degrading," he hissed.

* * *

><p>"My lord, my lord!" the servant ran back to Grandpa, Granny and the rest. Gasping for air, "…Lord Sesshōmaru… Master Inuyasha… it…"<p>

"What's going on?"

As the servant explained everyone's eyes grew until Grandpa took off running toward their direction.

"Mikka! Wait!"

On his arrival he finds Inuyasha banging on a door shouting, "Sesshōmaru you bastard! Get back out here!" but there seems to be a barrier.

Taishō stands with Izayoi, staring in horror and disbelief.

"What the hell just happened…?"

~~Inside the room~~

Sesshōmaru sits with his back on the locked door; above him Tenseiga is stabbed into the door, a blue-lined black aura flaming around it. Sesshōmaru holds Rin on his lap and Jaken stands close.

Banging. "Dammit! Get out here!"

Banging, but Sesshōmaru ignores it, his sight low and hair hanging.

Rin, "Sesshōmaru-sama… why did Izayoi-sama—?"

"Don't you _dare ever_ address **that woman** like that!" he snaps.

Rin jumped back but when she looked at his face…

Banging. "What the hell did you do?" a frantic question. Gramps.

Sesshōmaru draws up his knees. Rin leans on him, "I'm sorry, Lord Sesshōmaru…"  
><em>Don't. Please don't… it's okay, so please… <em>_please__…_ she squeezes her eyes shut.

Even Jaken walked over and sat, leaning on him too.

A desperate cry, verging on a shriek, "_**What the Hell did you do!**__"_

_I don't want to see you cry… not ever. So please… don't start now._

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>


	6. Chapter 6

• _Italicized= thoughts _•*within asterisks= sound effects* •^^Within these= flashback^^

•"-sama"= confers great respect; like "Lord/Lady" •"-chan"= used to express endearment, mostly toward girls. Also used for little boys, pets, even lovers; sense of childish cuteness; like English "-y/-ie" •"-san"= common all-purpose honorific equivalent to Mr., Miss, Ms., Mrs.

• Chichi-ue= archaic polite form of "Father" • Oyaji= informal form of "father" like saying "old man"  
>• Otō-sama= Very respectful form of "Father" • "Anmaa"= Okinawan dialect form of "Mother"<br>• "-nii"= "Big brother" i.e. Onii-chan, Nii-sama, Name-nii, etc  
>• Oba-chan= Affectionate form of "Aunt"<br>• "Bōcchama"= Young master; "chama" is from "-sama" •Ojō-sama= Very respectful way to address a young lady, like "Miss" like in the way of a master

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 6: Muuchi<p>

* * *

><p>~~Night~~<p>

"Where's Sesshōmaru-sama now?"  
>"I heard he's at the other side of <em><span>The<span>_ Estate."  
>"But why does he hate that woman so much?"<br>"It's something to do with his father…"  
>"Apparently, he refused to even leave that room until she was gone!"<br>"—Bōcchama was practically ready to tear that door down _himself_!"  
>"That would've been a sight…"<br>"—What kind of sight is that for two blood brothers to fight each other?"  
>"I heard that the Izayoi-woman didn't know Sesshōmaru-sama even <em><strong>existed<strong>_."  
>"—Oh, Mikazuki-sama woulda yanked 'em by the hair if they did try an' fight!"<br>"You mean she didn't know he had another son?"  
>"—He almost ripped Roshi-sama trying to get an answer from him!"<br>"—Didn't they have to drag him away?"  
>"There's just so much hot blood in this family…!"<br>"Where are the Masters now?"  
>"I think they're in their secret room having a meeting…"<br>"D'you think anyone's gonna get killed?"  
>"Either the brothers go at it or Grandpa's losin' it."<br>"—Or maybe Sesshōmaru'll go straight for the woman-!"

"Ah-hem! _Everyone_!"

The servants disband gasping, "Muōka-san!"  
>"We were just-"<p>

"Quiet."

They hush.

The Head Servant stands there with his back straight, arms crossed and expression firm, "What manner of ignoble and menial behavior? – Gossiping like indolent mollycoddled women! That's unacceptable for those who serve this mighty household, least of all under such circumstances!"

"Muōka-san, we're sorry! It's just that-"

"I don't want to hear it," he lowers his arms, "We have our orders. Lord Sesshōmaru bids that those who serve him will not serve the older human woman Izayoi; and that those who serve her, or those who are in frequent contact with her, will not even so much as _approach_ him unless they have rid her scent from their person. It also appears that Inuyasha-Bōcchama doesn't want to catch many whiffs of his brother.  
>"Lord Sesshōmaru also asks that <span>none<span> of you lay neither a harmful finger nor speak a disrespectful word to the little human girl-child Rin or else. As you should know, mi'lord is far from a merciful and compassionate soul. Do you understand?"

"Yessir!" they bow.

Muōka turns to leave but stops and looks back, "Right, one more thing…" he raises his eyebrows, "When in our Dear Masters' presence," he narrows his eyes, "Do **not** bring up _anything_ about their problems. Do not ask them what they are or for details – nothing if it serves your mere curiosity!" he hisses.

Baring his fangs, "And don't let them catch you gossiping! And don't breathe a _word_ to the humans about _any _of this. The only words you will tell them regarding the family are ones that will allow them to understand their place in comparison to them," he walks away.

"Muōka-san, but what about the wives? Don't they have-?"

"It doesn't matter if they're spreading their legs for our Masters-!"

*_gasp!_*  
>"Sir!"<p>

"That should be of no importance…"

He lowers his eyes, "You have to be beyond blind to not see that things are falling apart here… Don't make things worse; it's our job to keep things stable. Besides, things will get far worse before they get better… Have some decency."

~~In the secret room beneath The Estate~~

The spacious room's floors are made from a spotlessly polished black wood. The shōji doors are made with the same but with intricately carved designs, and with clean white paper. The door handles gold in the shape of a fallen crescent, with diamond-shaped chains hanging from them ending in round bells. A door adjacent to it, a closet, is of the fusuma variety, and on it painted an image of a green island surrounded by clear ocean and painted flying in the skies a white dog.

In the alcove, a fine transparent colored vase filled with red flowers, seemingly frosted over to keep them in bloom forever, or maybe they're made of glass…?

*ting* the vase wobbles.

"Otō-sama, I promise, I'll take care of this. You don't have to-"

"The hell I don't!"

Taishō's been backed against the wall by his own father who stands there with his wavy hair spilled across his face and shoulders in a wild mess. His eyes are the color of the seas and spread open wide, "Roshi, what the hell did you – what kind of damn mess did you leave behind when you died!"

Taishō turns away closing his eyes, "He was… he got upset about Izayoi – I don't know why, at least I'd like to think it wasn't only because…" He opens his eyes, "But that fact that after all this time… I thought he would've moved past this after my tests but he hasn't-"

*_**Kah!**_* grabbed by the collar, he's slammed into the wall! *_Kree—esh!_* the vase tips over and breaks.

"You lying brat!"

"Mika!" his wife cries.

"…Otō-sama–"

"You're lying you're lying! Or at least you're not telling me the whole truth…"

"It's best that you don't know everything Father. Too much drives a man mad."

Everyone looks to Akiyo whose sitting against the closet door with his sword leaning on his shoulder. He looks calm, "Don't fret so much; Rosh'll take care of it."

Grandpa lets go, "You know… don't you?"

Grandma, her hair down as well now, "Aki, please, it's just us here… What do you know?"

He looks at her, "Anmaa…" He looks down, "Just leave it. It's going to be taken care of…" he eyes his brother, "Right?"

Taishō nods.

"No… you're not anymore sure of this being resolved than he is…."

Akiyo looks away.

"We weren't brought back, from whatever the hell did this, to be broken family. Whatever you both know… _fix it_."

Taishō barely has a chance to catch his breath before his heart jumps at the sound of his father stomping a foot to the ground, "What're you waiting for!"  
>He swings his arm pointing at the door, "Go <strong>FIX THIS!<strong>" he roars.

Both men leave, the bells chime, leaving only the parents in the room.

Grandpa slumps to his knees despairingly. "…Harm isn't supposed to enter this estate," he says in a quiet raspy voice.

Grandma sits by him placing a hand on his shoulder but he keeps staring ahead, "You know the barrier can't expel harm once it's inside…" She tries to give a reassuring smile, "Thing are going to get better Mika."

"I don't believe you…" Her smile fades. Only his eyes turn toward her, "but you can keep telling yourself that if you want."

~~Outside~~

Taishō and Akiyo have gone through the halls and doors and now walk on the verandas outside. They say nothing for awhile.

While carrying his sword with his right, "What're you going to do about Sesshōmaru?"

*sigh* "I need to him to explain why-"

Akiyo turns his head sharply, his near perpetually calm and sleepy face having given way to anger, "You didn't fix things back then did you?"

"Things didn't get any simpler after you died…"

Akiyo grabs him with his left, "That boy worshipped the ground you walked on!" He lets go roughly, "I tried to make you see, and now you're showing me that you haven't? I better not have died for nothing!"

"…Forgive me, uh–" He shakes his head, "I tried to arrange some things for the better in case of my death and I was hoping that…" his shoulders slump, "but I guess not."

"I think he knows."

"Sesshōmaru? Wait, then…"

"You have to take care of this. Now."

"If Sesshōmaru knows then Otō-sama–"

"He's going to find out anyway! It doesn't matter what we do – you know how he is…! The only thing that's going to stop him from finding everything out is if he dies. And you know how he'll react… But if you mend things with Sesshōmaru, then maybe the fallout won't be as bad…"

*nod*

Akiyo shuts his eyes, "Damn it!"

"Akiyo?"

He grabs the bridge of his nose, "The entire estate is gossiping! Your kids are at each others throats and…" he exhales and drops his arm, "and you didn't deserve to die."

"Aki-nii…" he puts a firm hand on his shoulder, "I'm sorry, about everything."

~~At the Northern edge of The Estate~~

"Lord Sesshōmaru used that Kuroshin* didn't he? I've only seen it once before," says Rin.  
>(*Black Shield)<p>

"Sesshōmaru-sama has been fine-tuning his mastery of his swords these past three years. Don't think he's just been sitting idly by all this time!" responds Jaken.  
><em>He figured out how to summon Tenseiga's shield according to his will for <em>_you__. Lord Sesshōmaru said it's the same shield that Tenseiga used to protect him of __its__ own will that time he was struck by the Wind Scar, which was the same moment when Tenseiga transported him to the very forest where he met Rin._

"Jaken-sama, why is Sesshōmaru-sama so upset?"

Jaken begins to sweat, and trying not to worry Rin, "Oh that? Well~ he was just a bit stunned, but he's not as upset anymore-"

Outside the door, where Sesshōmaru had stepped out to earlier, they hear a retching sound.

"Eh…?"

Sesshōmaru's leaning over the railings. He wipes his mouth with his sleeve- _Damn, this hasn't happened since Father died…!_

"My lord?"

He turns around to find Jaken and Rin standing there.

"It's nothing," he looks away.

Jaken, "Mi'lord, did you just…?" _Oh! 'Vomit' is such an ugly word…!_

"It's nothing," he says more sternly as he enters the room.

The two give each other worried looks.

~~Meanwhile, around the Southern area of The Estate~~

Inuyasha is alone with his mother.

"Why didn't your father tell me he had a son?"

"Ofukuro, don't you remember how he spoke to you awhile ago?"

"Yes, but…"

"You probably would've wanted to meet him to be nice, but I bet Sesshōmaru would've tried to kill you as soon as Oyaji turned his back! Heh," he lies on his side, head supported by an arm, "I can't blame him for not wanting to introduce you to him."

"…Is he really that bad?"

"He's hated humans for as long as I've known him, and just as big of a jerk too."

"Inuyasha… how long have you known Sesshōmaru?"

"Nnn…" he scratches his cheek, "since I was little I think…"

Izayoi stares at him confused.

Inuyasha sits up again, "He… he'd visit… sometimes. When you weren't there to see him."

"Someone _was_ visiting you…"

"Huh?"

She smiles gently, "When you were very small, once or twice, you told me that a boy in white visited you, and you simply referred to him as _Se_."

"Oh… Well he didn't visit as much anymore after he told me he was my brother..."

Izayoi looks up at him.

"He wasn't… _caring_ either. After you died, he didn't…"  
>^^ A little Inuyasha reached up crying but he was pushed away, but he kept trying to grab hold until he was finally smacked to the ground ^^<p>

"I'd rather not talk about it," he looks away.

~~Back in the room where Sesshōmaru's staying~~

*knock knock* "Sesshōmaru?"

Sesshōmaru stares at the door thinking about whether he wants to answer, "…What is it?"

Behind the door, Taishō smiles relieved, "Can you come out for a moment?"

Another pause.

"I'll be right back," he tells Rin and Jaken. He leaves the room and looks at Taishō for a moment. They walk into another room.

"You look a little sick."

"It's nothing."

"When you are sick, it is not 'nothing.' You should get treatment for that soon… and calm down."

"Hmph, after being reminded of what happened back then, how can I?"

Taishō narrows his eyes, "You know, don't you?"

Sesshōmaru turns around, "Is that all you came for? To tell me to be quiet?"

"…Are you going to tell?"

"I'll leave that to someone else."

_END OF DAY 2_

* * *

><p><em>DAY 3<br>_~~Morning~~

The gang (minus Inuyasha), Myōga and Tōtōsai are gathered in the room.

Miroku, "We've been away from the children for quite some time…"  
>Sango, "Should we return to the village?"<br>Kohaku, "Maybe we could bring them here?"  
>Kagome, "Considering what's happening here… Ugh, I don't know if we should stay or leave!"<p>

Myōga, with crossed arms and closed eyes, says "You should probably stay."

"Hn?"

"Although they are his family, the only people Master Inuyasha _knows_ are his mother and Sesshōmaru. If things go wrong… it'd be better if he had people who he trusted here with him."

Shippō, "But then don't we still have to go back to get the kids?"

Tōtōsai, "Or the servants could bring them."

"But how do we call them?"

Myōga shrugs, "Whistle."

One of the gang tries it and like that the door opens and there's the Head Servant, "Yes?"

"Would it be okay if Sango-chan's and Miroku-sama's children were brought here?"

"…" Muōka calmly smiles, "Yes, that would be fine. I'll get someone on that." He tries to leave but—

"Wait! We need to tell you where the village is!"  
>"I could show the way."<p>

He turns around, "There's no need. I'll have swift and sturdy transportation sent to the land of Musashi for Akiko, Houko, and Kouji* I'll even have motherly women to hold them."

Sango, "…Wh-what?"  
>Miroku, "How do you know that? How do you know their names?"<p>

Everyone stares on in surprise except the two old demons.

The servant keeps smiling, "It is our duty to investigate where little Inuyasha-Bōcchama currently resides to ensure that it is… _in his favor_. That it's good for his well-being~!"

"You… you've been spying on the village?"

"Oh no, we wouldn't call it 'spying'! We're just keeping an eye on things~ There are eyes all across the lands that The Family owns – actually, there are also eyes outside the property, in those other lands owned by those other lords, so that way we know what they're up to and can always be a step ahead," and he keeps smiling a dead doll smile.

"Well… we may need one of you to accompany them. We need that old woman Kaede to know that they're with Bōcchama." *nod*

~~In Kaede's village~~

Kaede watches the children play with the other children when suddenly there's a chill down her spine. She looks back at the torii gate but there's nothing there.

She squints at it. No, nothing. No aura. She walks off following the children.

There, looking out over the village, standing at the top of the torii gate, one dressed in a black cloak and hood with a blue jewel set within a gold plate buttoning it. A bird like the one that brought the message to Sesshōmaru sits at their shoulder. Although their face is covered by the hood's shadow, a grin shines through nonetheless, "Hnf."

The wind blows and the person and bird fade away in what looks like streaks.

* * *

><p>Shippō, "H-how much do you guys kn-know?"<p>

*smile* "We know the old priestess Kaede was younger sister to the miko Kikyō who was guardian to that _pesky_ Shikon Jewel before she died, and that she sealed dear Bōcchama to a sacred tree for 50 years until Kikyō's reincarnation – you, Higurashi Kagome – set him free."

"The Bone Eater's Well is apparently a portal between eras, which is what the reincarnation used to come here and Bōcchama can use it too can't he? *tilts head* then you destroyed the jewel and then some things about Naraku… we're still gathering information about that fellow~"  
>He waves it off, then points to everyone, "Sango, Demon-slayer, whole village destroyed by Naraku – well, all of you have ties to him I think… You're the little brother, Kohaku, something about being brought back with a shard… Miroku, some manner of cursed whole…? Shippō, attending Kitsune Inn right?"<p>

Everyone stares on in horror, their faces pale.

They haven't even been there 48 hours yet and already… And he's just standing there, like it's the most natural thing in the world, smiling.

"I'll get things ready," he turns.

"What happened to Inuyasha? I haven't seen him since they went to see Sesshōmaru."

His smile fades as he looks back, "That is none of your business."

"What? Why-?"

"The family's situation is not for you to take part. You have no authority here except to not get **eaten. **Unless _they_ allow it, you'll be told nothing. Understand, _Reincarnation_?"

Shippō nervously asks, "H-h-hey… what happened to that smile? Hehe…"

"Be quiet."

"Yessir!"

One of the gang's about to open their mouth to protest but- *kl-kl-klak* The opposite door opens, "Dandelion~!" cries Auntie.

She runs past the group toward the servant stopping in front of him and presenting a yellow dandelion.

"Ah, Ojō-sama, how have you been?" with a _genuine_ smile he accepts the gift, "Thank you very much." *bows*

She smiles wide enough to show all her teeth.

"Oba-chan, what's going on with everyone?"

Auntie turns around dramatically, petrifies with mouth open in horror, and the other flower she had in her hand drops to the ground with a plop- *_Gaaasp!_* "Aiyeenaa!"**  
>"Don't say that!" She starts flailing her arms, "If you see Anmaa don't bring it up! If you see Aki-nii or Roshi-nii don't bring it up! If you see <span>Setchan<span> _really_ don't bring it up! Or to Inuyo-chan!  
>*<em>GAA-AASP<em>* If you see Otō-sama…. *twitch* _Whatever you do_… Don't. Bring. It. Up." She brings her arms into her chest, "If you see me, **especially** don't bring it up!"

"Is it really that bad?"

*POINT* "Not your concern!" She spins around putting her hands on her hips, "Let's go Tampopo! The humans ask too much!"

"Yes, Madame," and they both leave.

"They really don't want us to know, do they?"

Myōga, "Absolutely not. They don't think you're worth the trouble."

Tōtōsai, "But they've probably started a file on each one of you, drawings included."

Kagome, gripping her knees, "What's up with this place…?"

"This is _The_ Estate of the Agekkōki's, that's what it is…" Shippō says, "We shouldn't be here…"

Besides, it's not like the family knows the full situation themselves.

~~Outside~~

Muōka and Auntie walk on the grass for a while but eventually he stops, "What is it?"  
><em>They should've kept their mouths shut!<em>

Auntie's looking down, a frown on her face, "When did things go so wrong, Tampopo?"

"…I, I couldn't really say. My apologies."

"…when I was little, I found a shirogekka* in one of the trees and I…"  
>(*white moon flower)<p>

"The one they say… grants a wish? But I thought those didn't actually..."

"They do," she tries to smile, "and I, I made a wish on it like you're supposed to…" She closes her eyes, "I wished… that if ever we got separated suddenly, that one day we'd all be together again. I thought that it came true when Father brought m– but now I think that _this_ is what it did instead…" and then the tears she was holding back rolled down her face.

He kneels down and she hugs him, "I'm sure that's not-"

"But after I died that time everyone—it wasn't even 50 years before everyone died too! *gasp* Not even 50 years…"

He hugs her back, "I know…"

She sobs, "I meant for us to see each other on the other side… not this! …w-what, what did Setchan do after everyone…?"

"He…" he looks down, "Sesshō-sama… he ran away for a little while." He inhales, "He hardly comes here anymore and… and I haven't seen him happy since."

"…Why are things going wrong like this?"

"I wish I knew," he continues to hold her as she cries, "Ojō-sama… there's a girl with Sesshō-sama. She's about your age right now. Maybe… you could ask her some things?"

"…"

* * *

><p>"That's not what I meant!"<p>

Akiyo walks toward Taishō, "If you want there to be actual peace in this family then you have to deal with the ugly parts first."

"But I don't know what to deal with first."

"You've always been insightful. You can figure it out."

"How do we fix what happened between us then? That can't be undone."

"That's a whole other matter altogether. Take care of Sesshōmaru first; he began acting like that even before what happened between us took place. Find out the reason behind that."

* * *

><p>In a different part of the estate, Grandma sits hugging her knees next to an older woman.<p>

"Hakujoō… things are going to get worse aren't they?"

The other woman has light gray hair much in the style of the dark priestess Tsubaki, black eyes, and green scales on her cheeks that curve under cheekbones. She looks old and wears a gray kimono with some scale designs tied by a dark green sash.

"What makes you say that?"

"Mika has a gut-feeling that something's terribly wrong *sigh* and he's usually right about these things…"

"What is it that people say in your home island again…? Hmm… right, nan-ku-ru-na-i-sa? 'Things will turn out alright' isn't it?"

She smiles a little, "Yeah. Nankurunaisa."

* * *

><p>"Sesshōmaru."<p>

"What do you want now?" asks Sesshōmaru with his back to his father.

"I want… to ask what's wrong."

"I see…" he responds with his back still toward him. "You want to know what's wrong?" he clenches his fist, "You put that woman before me."

Taishō scoffs, "You're just jealous?"

Sesshōmaru turns around, "It wasn't even a normal change in attention – you outright forgot I existed!"

"Eh-?"

"Chichi-ue, answer me this: in your final moments, did you think of me?"

Taishō, "Sesshōmaru, what kind of-!"

"Did you? Or did you only think of that half-breed and his mother?" Sesshōmaru's voice strains, "Did you even remember anyone else! How… how can some human woman who you only knew for a year or two – how can some bitch so easily replace the son who you raised for almost _two hundred years_? Was it all so easy to forget!"

* * *

><p>Rin sits alone under a leafless black tree hugging her knees, her face buried in her arms. She feels a small hand on her shoulder.<p>

"Haitai, Rin-chan."

Rin looks up to see Auntie's face. "Are you okay?" she smiles, but Rin can see that she's been crying too.

Because My Lord cannot shed tears, I shall in his place… so that he doesn't have to.

* * *

><p>*I have extreme difficulty with creating names, often taking forever to decide and agonizing over the meaning and how it sounds. It's even worse if it's for a cannon character… so I had an idea for the names of the Kids, one that put me much more at ease because it felt… "more correct"<br>Japanese voice actor for Miroku: _Kouji_ Tsujitani  
>Japanese voice actress for Sango: <em>Houko<em> Kuwashima  
>Japanese voice actress for Kohaku: <em>Akiko <em>Yajima

**Aiyeenaa= Okinawan expression of sorrow or surprise. Oh! Dear me! Good heavens!  
>**"Haitai"= Okinawan causal "hello" used by females<p>

Sorry if this seems... fragmented to you but I guess this chapter is supposed to be like this...? I'll re-focus in the next chapter. Thank you very much for the reviews and faves ^-^

* * *

><p><em>To be continued...<em>


	7. Chapter 7

**Forget anything I say about when I'm gonna update – just alert the story. I honestly can't really say when the next one will come out, if it's soon hooray, if it's awhile from now then damn oh well…**

**P.S. Important note from me about the future of this story at the end**

• _Italicized= thoughts_ • *within asterisks= sound effects* •^^Within these= flashback^^  
>•"-sama"= confers great respect; like "LordLady"  
>• "Ojiji" informal form of "grandpa" • Otō-sama= Very respectful form of "Father"<br>• Chichi-ue= archaic polite form of "Father" • Oyaji= informal form of "father" like saying "old man"

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 7: Nanachi<p>

* * *

><p>Taishō followed Sesshōmaru's scent until he found him walking in the halls outside. He walked up behind him, "Sesshōmaru."<p>

"What do you want now?" he didn't turn around. There wasn't any emotion in his response either.

Taishō took in a deep breath, bracing himself, "I want… to ask what's wrong."

"I see…" he still didn't turn around. "You want to know what's wrong?" Sesshōmaru clenched his fist, "You put that woman before me."

Taishō scoffs, "You're just jealous?"

Sesshōmaru turns around, "It wasn't even a normal change in attention – you outright forgot I existed!"

"Eh-?"

"Chichi-ue, answer me this: in your final moments, did you think of me?"

Taishō takes a step forward, "Sesshōmaru, what kind of-!"

"Did you? Or did you only think of that half-breed and its mother?" Sesshōmaru's voice strains, "Did you even remember anyone else! How… how can some human woman who you only knew for a year or two – how can some bitch so easily replace the son who you raised for almost _two hundred years_? Was it all so easy to forget!"

Taishō blinked hard multiple times, taken back by the question.

"Well…? Answer me Chichi-ue!" He stood there shaking, his breath heavy.

Taishō saw that Sesshōmaru was holding back, that poised in eyes, ready to fall…

His eyes squeezed shut tightly, "You didn't even leave me a grave to stand by so I could talk to you… and pretend that you were able to hear me, the way humans try to delusion themselves…" he keeps his lips firmly together to keep the corners of his mouth from pulling down.

He feels arms take him in, "I'm sorry," says his father, but Sesshōmaru tries to push himself away, "Don't act like a hug is going to fix this!"

Taishō takes Sesshōmaru's face with both of his hands and brings him in closer, "…I'm so sorry… That doesn't sound like me at all – it's not like me – but I don't know why I…" a look of panic spreads upon his face as he tries to think back, "I didn't – why weren't you… _there_?"

^^ "Chichi-ueeeeee~!" Sesshōmaru ran into his father's arms with a leap Sesshōmaru burying himself into his father… A quiet and muffled "I love you more than anything in this whole world."… ^^ Akiyo punched him, "…_Hiroshi_! What the hell's happened to you? … what are you **doing**?" ^^ Blood. "Please!" ^^

Sesshōmaru's eyes widened…

Taishō shakes his head in disbelief, "…it doesn't make sense. …I'm so sorry."

All the little features in Sesshōmaru's face tremble, "…You didn't then? You didn't…" his stare shifts to the corners of his eyes.

He smacks his father's arms away, backs out as Taishō tries to grab his arm. Sesshōmaru turns, "Get away from me."

"Sesshōmaru, please wait," he manages to grab his wrist, "…I, I, I don't know why I was acting that way back then-!"

"Let go!"

"I didn't mean to…"

"You're lying. You just don't want to tell me," he keeps struggling but Taishō manages to hold him, and he holds on tight.

Sesshōmaru thrashes about but Taishō doesn't let go. He grips his father's arms above the elbows, "You abandoned me!"

"…I, I know."

Sesshōmaru looks up at him, and watches as a tear runs down his father's face. He lowers his head and leans in closer despite the poisonous claws sunk deep into his arms, "…I don't know what came over me back then… but I don't deserve forgiveness for the way I treated you during my final months…" he rests his head on Sesshōmaru's shoulder.

Sesshōmaru looks straight on wide-eyed, everything shaking, trying to speak, trying to keep his stance, and trying not to give in, but he bites his lip and grips a little harder, sinking them in a little deeper, "Why… why did you have to die?"

Taishō faintly smiles as things start to blur, "…I loved you right when you were born… and I loved your little brother right when he was born too."

"I'm sorry, puppy…" and Taishō's body goes limp. Sesshōmaru's claws cut his robe as he begins to fall to his knees, but Sesshōmaru takes them out and grabs a hold of him. He gently lowers him.

Through a trembling broken smile, "…This is her fault. I know you're not like that – she's the reason why you started acting like that-!"

Taishō, limp but still somewhat conscious, "Sesshōmaru… don't say that… It's not her fault."

"_It is_."

"…It's my fault."

"No, it's not! How else does what happened make any sense then?"

"Sesshōmaru…" he can't stay awake anymore, "don't delusion yourself like the humans do…"

All goes black.

Sesshōmaru looks at him, "Chi… chi-ue…?" No response.

He looks at his bloody hands against his father's white kimono, "…I'm sorry." He looks back at Taishō, "I'm sorry… I, I'll make you better…"

He sits there with a deep frown.

"Why did she have to show up…?"

* * *

><p>"What the hell's going on?" says Inuyasha as he runs up with his mother and the gang.<p>

The door is open and they see Taishō sit up from his bedding. His mother and little sister sit beside him. Standing outside the door beyond the engawa is Rin and Jaken.

Grandma, "How do you feel?"

"Better…" he gives a tired smile.

"Dearest, what happened to you?" and just as Izayoi is about to rush over to the room Akiyo shows up and puts an arm up to stop her.

She jumps back with more fright than would seem necessary.

"Quiet down, now's not the _best_ time…"

"What do you mean 'now's not the best time'? I can smell Oyaji's blood!"

Akiyo squints and turns his head away, but Inuyasha follows the direction of his gaze and at the far end sees Sesshōmaru…

"Ses-Sesshōmaru…" Inuyasha's eyes widen- _I can smell it… on his hands…_

Izayoi looks on too, "He's… Inuyasha's older brother…?" She had never really seen him before, but yet… he did seem oddly familiar, or maybe it was just because he looked so much like his father?

Sesshōmaru was outside of the room, beyond the sight of anyone inside. He stood there looking down; eyes firm, yet right below them were signs of tiredness.

_The smell of Oyaji's blood…_ Inuyasha runs toward him, "Sesshōmaru, you bastard! What the hell did you do to Dad?"

Sesshōmaru's turned his gaze in his direction, his fingers twitched, and Izayoi saw a hateful glare. He looked toward Inuyasha first, but she could swear that he then looked right at her.

Akiyo calmly rested his wrist on his sword's handle – a subtle gesture. That was more than enough blood for today.

But Inuyasha grabbed Sesshōmaru by the collar, "Damn it, what's your problem? First you freak out about my mother and now you're taking it out on our dad? I thought that you had more control than that!"

"I do have more control," Sesshōmaru cracks the claws of his left hand—

"Come on, let's go," Grandpa suddenly appears and grabs Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru by their left and right wrists respectively. He walks off pulling them behind him.

"Hey, Ojiji, what're you-?"

"What are you two doing out here?" he turns his head back at them, "You should be in there with him giving comments of relief that he's better."

Inuyasha continues speaking toward Grandpa as he drags the two of them away, but Sesshōmaru remains silent, staring at him…

Grandpa Mikazuki's hair is still a spilled wavy mess, but the rest is tied back with a low ponytail now. He… he looks so… _young_, but that's not the only reason why Sesshōmaru's so struck…

"Hey Akiyo!" Grandpa calls.

Sesshōmaru looks on at his Uncle too.

"Get your ass in there too," he shakes his head toward the open door's direction and likewise Sesshōmaru looks over there too. They're within view of the room's door now.

Mijirin stands up and opens her arms, "Setchan!"

Grandma remains seated but straightens her back more to get a better look. She claps her hands together, "You're so much bigger now~"

Sesshōmaru's breathing was different – he wasn't gasping, but he wasn't not breathing… it was like he was breathing slower, like everything was moving just a little slower… His eyes were so wide that one could see the whites above and below his iris, yet the outer corners were still lower, and his mouth was parted, maybe he was even a little paler.

He hadn't seen _any_ of them since he arrived to The Estate. He just saw his father, Inuyasha and Izayoi and then he locked himself in that room and then… and then all of that happened and…

It was true.

Everyone was back. He hadn't seen anyone's face or heard anyone's voice or been able to catch anyone's scents in ages and now they were here.

Grandpa went right on into the room, shoes and all, and stopped right at his son's bedside. He turned around at his grandsons, "Now what do you say?"

Inuyasha kinda froze up and Sesshōmaru looked down, his eyes now half-closed.

Akiyo entered behind them.

"Well…?" Grandpa tugged at their wrists.

Inuyasha looked over at the hand of his brother that their grandfather was holding. He could see faint stains on his fingers, it had been wiped off but not washed away, but then he noticed a straight horizontal cut on his palm.

_I thought I smelled a bit of Sesshōmaru's blood…_ He looked over at his father. _And I'm sure I smell some of his blood somewhere else too but…_

Suddenly Grandpa pulled them forward, let go of their wrists but before they could fall grabbed each by his scruff leaving them in an odd bowing position, "What do you say?" he calmly but firmly asked.

Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru say at the same time:  
>"I'm glad you're okay, Dad"<br>"I'm sorry, Father."

Grandpa, "Good. Now when I let you go, you will both sit down, _right_?"

They both barely nod. He lets them go and they both quietly sit down.

"Otō-sama… you don't need to be so aggressive," says Taishō.

Sesshōmaru takes a glance around the room. They're all together.

Taishō puts his hand on Inuyasha's head, "I'm sorry for having given you such a fright."

Inuyasha immediately narrows his eyes at Sesshōmaru, but Inuyasha could swear that right when he did his father's hand, which was lightly petting him, gripped a little harder…

He took his eyes off his brother, "But you're all better now, right?"

Taishō takes his hand off, "Yes, thank you for asking." He smiles.

Grandpa sits down too, "Yup, this one here caused the trouble but also fixed it," he roughly pets Sesshōmaru's head side to side.

Mijirin leans over, "Yeah, but what did he do that for thou-" but she sees her father looking sternly at her, "Oh." She looks at her lap.

"Why are so small?" Sesshōmaru asks straightforwardly.

Inuyasha looks over at him, "'Cus she died when she was kid."

Mijirin puts her hands on her hips, "I thought you knew the story."

While they talk about why Mijirin isn't the _woman_ that Sesshōmaru remembered from his own childhood, Taishō looks over at his own brother who's standing there behind Inuyasha, Grandpa and Sesshōmaru.

Akiyo has his arms crossed. He looks over at Taishō and cocks his head over to the right.

Taishō gives a half-smile and shrugs, then he faces forward at everyone by his bedside again- _I tried…_

* * *

><p><em>DAY 4<em>

~~Dinner~~

Amazingly, _everyone _is in the same room. Yes, this includes Sesshōmaru, albeit he's sitting way in the corner as far away from the woman as he can, and looking out the door. He's holding Rin in his lap and Jaken sits next to him – none of them are eating.

The fact that he's willing to set his feelings aside and put up being in the same _room_ with her to be in the same room with his family is a start, and they're not going to push him any further on this subject.

The humans take quick peeks over at that corner but then Sesshōmaru glares at all of them and they quickly turn away scared.

Kagome leans over to Grandma and whispers, "So they're not going to eat?"

She quietly answers, "He said he would eat later, but the girl and imp already ate before we did so they wouldn't be uncomfortable in their wait."

_Uncomfortable…? I don't think them having eaten already makes __this__ any less uncomfortable…_

Today the seating arrangement is so: Grandpa and Grandma at the head; on Grandma's side Kagome, Inuyasha, Sango, and Miroku; on Grandpa's side Izayoi, Taishō, Auntie, and Akiyo; and opposite at the head of the table Shippō and Kohaku; Kilala has a bowl on the floor between Miroku and Kohaku.

Shippō looks over at Akiyo and how he's eating with his left hand, "So… southpaw huh?"

Akiyo lifts up hand, "I wasn't always~"

"Huh?"

He points his chopsticks up, "I raised my sword to point at the heavens _theeeen_ I was struck by lightning."

Shippō hears a thunder crash in his mind, everyone does really.

Izayoi looks at Taishō, "Are you alright…?"

"Oh, it's… I was there when it happened. Not a pleasant memory…" he looks over at Akiyo, "I thought you were dead. You were just lying there with your eyes wide open and blank… and you weren't moving… or breathing…" he turns back to his food.

"Nope, wasn't pleasant when I woke up either… Thought I lost my arm– _sigh_ –I had to relearn everything with my left," and virtually between every word after the sigh Akiyo stabbed down at his food, but his hand wasn't in a fist however.

"But it still works a little," he lifts up his right and the hand kind of flops down showing a burn scar running out from his sleeve into his palm, "And~ that's what you get for pointing something sharp and metallic above your head."

Taishō adds, "There were hardly any clouds that day either…"

Miroku shakily looks behind himself to see his staff lying there. The metal ring shines- *ping*  
>Inuyasha shakily looks behind himself to see Tessaiga lying there. The handguard shines- *ping*<p>

"How long ago did it happen?" asks Sango.

"Oh I…" he points at Kohaku, "I was his size."

Kohaku imagines his weapon. It shines in his imagination- *ping*  
>Even Sesshōmaru, in the corner, imagines his swords- *ping* *ping*<p>

Miroku, Inuyasha, and Kohaku take a serious sip from their drinks.

Shippō turns away- _Note to self: Never get a sword or anything metal…_

"Yeah… our family isn't exactly renowned for having the best of luck," comments Grandpa.

And of all things, Inuyasha instantly thinks of when Kikyō shot him during her dying moments. He takes another long serious sip. In fact, every white-haired member of his family takes a sip, even Sesshōmaru's eyebrow twitches.

"I swear, we're fucking cursed," says Gramps.

*_sssssiiiiiiiiiipppppp_*

Akiyo points at Shippō, "Hey, do you practice at that Inn?"

"Yeah."

"You should meet him."

"Meet who?"

"The one who runs it – the Master. He lives here."

*_krrssh_* Shippō's jaw drops, his cup shattered on the floor, "Wh-what?"

Grandpa, "Yeah… _The_ Estate kinda serves as a retirement place for Daiyōkai we're on good terms with… They sometimes need a place to get away and where no one will bother them, but they do pay…" At Sesshōmaru, "They still pay, right boy?"

"Yes, sir, they do."

"Good."

"R-really…?" Shippō asks looking at Akiyo.

Akiyo looks at Sesshōmaru, "He's still here, isn't he?"

"I can't say; I don't exactly go visit where he stays."

"You should, he's an advisor."

The door next to Sesshōmaru opens. There are two servants: Muōka and another. They're holding a brush with scooper and the other holds a pitcher for refills. It's like they heard the cup break and the long serious sips.

The Head Servant looks down at Sesshōmaru in the corner, bows, "Sesshō-sama. Child. Imp."

Sesshōmaru, "Muōka. You look well."

"Thank you, sir." He then walks over to the table with the other servant. He kneels and begins to sweep up the broken pieces while the other refills the Masters' cups.

"Sorry about that."

"It happens," he wipes up the spilled drink.

"Ah, Muōka, you should know," says Akiyo, "Does that fox still live here?"

"Yes, he does sir, why do you ask?"

"So that little one can meet him."

He looks at Shippō, then looks behind Shippō, "I… I don't think he's worthy of seeing him. He doesn't even have a second tail. If anything that kitten over there would be more worthy of seeing him. I'm sorry."

*meow*

"How many tails does he have?"

"All of them."

Shippō gasps- _Of course he would have all of them if he's master of the Kitsune Inn! But wow… all nine tails…_

Eventually dinner ends and everyone leaves but Sesshōmaru stays in the corner with Rin and Jaken. Taishō lingers behind and walks up to him.

"I can stay as you eat… if you want."

Sesshōmaru looks away, "That's not necessary. I'm fine, but thank you Chichi-ue."

"Oh… Alright," he bends down a little and puts his hand on Sesshōmaru's head. "Good night then. I'll see you tomorrow," he looks down at Rin and Jaken, "Good night to you too."

They nod and say the same.

Taishō leaves.

Rin looks up at Sesshōmaru, "Why didn't you let him stay?"

"…He smelled like her."

Jaken, "My lord, are you really going to eat?"

"Not tonight. I still don't feel well; my stomach hasn't entirely settled down yet."

"I see… Then should we go to bed now?"

"Yes."

Rin hops off his lap as Sesshōmaru stands up and walks away. They stare at him for awhile and wonder why he won't tell them what's really wrong… why is he still acting like that? But he won't, at least not now, so they follow behind anyway.

Things aren't fixed between them yet, but maybe they can set it all aside, at least long enough until those bodies give out and they pass away again…

Really, all that's been done is a little bandage – a bandage on a wounded heart, or wrapping a tourniquet around a severed limb… It'll work for awhile, maybe stop the bleeding long enough to get proper medical attention to make it all better, but if the heart starts beating too fast, pumping too much blood, or if the body is put under too much activity or stress it'll all start bleeding again. The wound will open and no stitching will do any good to stop it. It'll just rip open and bleed, bleed it all out…

But that's only if enough stress if applied. If those things aren't brought up, then maybe they can pull it off: have a happy reunion and enjoy their limited time together. Although it's a macabre thing to say, but hopefully Mikazuki and Udui pass away before the truth gets out, so they don't have to hear it, what really happened…

The Family is known for many things; unfortunately good luck is not one of them.

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p>Oh my… I've had the big climax of this story in my mind for so long… Although I'll admit that I'm not entirely sure how the chapters between now and then are supposed to go, or how many they'll be…<p>

But I do have an even more ultimate goal: to reveal the big secret in two of my stories at the same time.  
>I'm currently working on <em>Sesshomaru Kohen<em> (part 2 of _Sesshomaru Ante Iam_). I've planned out and titled the last chapters – that part will end at 22 chapters. After that I'll begin the final and third part: _Sesshomaru Iam Tandem_ which will be at the least 9 chapters but at the most 12… Around the 5th or 6th to the last chapter – I want that one to come out on the same day as the revelation for _After Tomorrow_.

It's the same one but in the _Sesshomaru_ story it's being told chronologically, so while in _Tomorrow_ it will be **told** and there will be noteworthy reactions and consequences to it, in _Iam Tandem_ you'll be able to watch it **happen**.

And there you go.


	8. Chapter 8

_God I take forever to update…_

_Hey if any of you have any suggestions of what kind of situations you'd like to see I'd gladly hear them! _

_I have the climax, the events immediately preceding the climax, and the ending clearly defined and planned out, but the stuff between now and that climax will explore the relationships that already exist in the family and the relationships that are forming (namely with Inuyasha) – the climax and ending will be unaffected – __THAT IS SET IN STONE __– so the events __**in between are very fluid**__ (this is also why I'm having trouble completing these chapters)_

_Please include in your review or private message me your ideas! :D_

• Please look at previous chapters for significance of Japanese terms of address

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 8: Yaachi<p>

* * *

><p><em>DAY 5<em>

_The_ Estate is a very open place – not very fortress or even castle like. It's a series of buildings – or really a series of mansions – of various architectural styles and some are directly connected to each other while others are not; it also has quite a varied overall geography.

Some of the buildings, usually the ones between four and seven floors, and usually at the end of a building, loop into a square. To be specific there's a plain courtyard of fair dirt (or a fountain, or a garden, depends) that's big enough for a whole platoon to practice in, and it's enclosed by the building. There are also verandas/balconies from the second floor and up to serve as a place for spectators to watch since individuals actually do spar there. Ah… memories~

Also, when no one's sparing down there, that section of the building can be quite… vacant. And that's why it's a great place to chat and drink such as Taishō and Akiyo are doing on this fine day.

*tonk* "Why the hell is everything a mess…?" Akiyo groans as he lets his head fall back against the wall.

*sigh* "I think we should just stop trying anything…" Taishō responds as he refills his cup.

He glances over at him, "Why are still serving yourself in cups? Just drink straight out of the damn bottle already." Akiyo lifts up his own bottle.

"No." He sets the bottle down and brings up his cup, "How are you _not_ drunk yet?"

"How are you _not_ currently squealing like a little girl about your son's ears, huh?"

"…You've had too much already." *_siiip_*

He scoffs and looks away, "You know even if we stop trying… he's going to find out eventually."

"That depends..."

"That's macabre…"

He glances over at Akiyo to find him with a half-lidded one-eyed stare, "…wishing for an early death like that." He adjusts so as to sit up straighter, "What happened to that sainthood of yours, eh?"

"Nothing; I never was one," he takes a drink from the bottle.

"Hey, Roshi?"

"Hmm?"

"When you died, were you smiling?"

^^ _white hair– flushed face– "Bye… brother…" –a smile ** black hair– tears– blood– "I lo…" –a trembling smile ** gray hair– old– in peace– "I'm sorry but… this is really it" –a faint smirk ** gray hair– old– in peace– "Be good… okay?" –a gentle smile ** white hair– blood– smiling– "…didn't mean it…" ** "But Dearest!" "Inuyasha! – the child's name will be Inuyasha. Now go!" –blood –fire –__**the end.**_^^

Taishō looks down at the courtyard with a thousand-yard gaze but then he squeezes his eyes shut, "I don't remember if I was smiling…"

"Were you at least without regrets?"

The younger one turns around looking as if having awoken from a nightmare, "You know that I…"

"It's alright. It wasn't your fault."

If anything Taishō looks more horrified.

"It was my fault too," he exhales, "Besides, the last feeling that one should experience before death is something negative like grief or anger, one should just let all that go and greet death with a smile…" he scoots over toward his brother, "That's what I did." And reaches his hand behind his head to bring it to rest on his shoulder, "Maybe this time, when you die again, you'll be able to woo Death with that charming sunlit smile of yours as you pass on!"

"Aki-nii, that's ridiculous…"

"What?" Akiyo pulls back, "I bet that smile is how you won over the mothers of your children! Hell it's probably how you got them to undress!"

"Shut up…"

"Come on, give me that winning robe-dropping smile~"

He tries to crack one.

"You know what I'm saying is true… I've seen the girls swoon. If you had smiled at Death like that and asked it to spare you-"

"Now you're going too far."

He scruffs up his hair, "It's so warm and bright that _flowers bud and bloom in winter looking better than they ever have before._"

"Now you're just being stupid…"

"I swear. I saw it happen once. You smiled and suddenly – spring."

"You're drunk."

~~Meanwhile, in an area that could be called a nursery – well, it is…~~

"Mommy~!"  
>"Daddy~!"<p>

"Come to daddy!" cries Miroku with arms outstretched to the twins.

Sango, holding their boy in her arms, "It's been so long, hasn't it?" the baby squeals.

The rest of the gang and Izayoi are there too.

"Doggy!"  
>"Uncy!"<p>

One twin aims for Inuyasha and another toward Kohaku who (unlike Inuyasha) picks her up gladly.

Shippō walks over to the Head Servant in the corner, "Um… excuse me…"

"Yes, is there something you wish to ask?"

Kagome, "Is something the matter? You look worried…"

Shippō had been the one sent to accompany the servants that picked up the children. He had been their verification with Kaede.

"There were… people in the village."

"What?" everyone else asks.

Muōka smiles, "People?" he tilts his head.

"They were asking questions, and I think one or two of them were a demon but…" he looks up, "Did you send them there?"

Inuyasha quickly walks up to him, "What the hell are you guys doing?"

"It is nothing malevolent Bōcchama, no need to worry."

"Then what is _it_?"

He looks to the side then back at Inuyasha, "Information gathering."

"You're spying?"

"It's not 'spying.' Spying is something done in secret."

Inuyasha begins to growl. He doesn't like how he's evading the question. He's the head servant so he has the most connection with the Family; he's probably acting on their orders. Why the hell haven't they told him though?

Inuyasha opens his mouth, ready to bark out a threat, but something occurs to him, a way to get him to answer directly. Inuyasha takes a breath and stops growling.

Everyone stares; somewhat surprised that he hasn't lost his temper.

"Muōka's your name right?"

"Indeed it is. I'm flattered that you remember. Thank you, Bōcchama."

Inuyasha looks back at the gang, "You say that you've been assigned to be our guide, but the only orders you _really_ follow are the ones given to you by the family," he looks at his mother and Kagome, "like Sesshōmaru, or my dad, right?"

He looks back at the servant, "So you have to listen to what _I _say too don't you?"

Everyone looks at him but Muōka remains unfazed.

"Who exactly are the people at Kaede's village and why are they there? I want a clear answer – that's an order," he even cracks a claw or two.

He smirks, "You know Bōcchama, you sound an awful lot like your brother with that tone…"

The corner of Inuyasha's mouth twitches.

*sigh* "What's at the village are scouts and they're not exactly 'people'… they're 'puppets.' The two demons there are their handlers and lead scouts. And as I said earlier, they are simply gathering information: about the village, its inhabitants, its history…"

"Did they order you to send them?"

"It's procedure. You should be glad we're there. The risk of the village being attacked has dropped significantly since a lot of the demons within the immediate vicinity have been… removed."

~~In Kaede's village~~

"Hmm, and who exactly does this 'Estate' belong to?" asks Kaede with hands behind her back.

In front of her home and standing before her is an austere-looking woman – a demon – with what looks like a clipboard. Next to her is a shorter assistant who holds a vile of ink, but there's something off about that one, in fact it looks similar to the other half-dozen running around the village, identical really.

Those ones all have the same haircut: long bangs that hang over their eyes and a ponytail of straight short hair. They have a similar face and something about their movements is… unnatural. The other villagers don't seem to notice too much however.

One of them sits with a board, paper, and charcoal, while a group of men surround him.

"Whoa, you have some fine skill there young man."

"Thank you, sir. Please continue with the descriptions." he points to the half-completed image of Sango in her demon-slayer attire.

"Now what about her hips?" asks the man.

"Aaahh… well, I don't mean to be lewd but…"  
>"It looks very firm…"<br>They grumble in approval.

"Oh… I see. So like this?" he indicates the shape with his hands in the air. It looks like he's groping the air.

"No, it bit more like this," and another villager joins in on the air groping.

"Ah, of course," he begins to sketch, "to wield such a heavy weapon _naturally_ means well-formed hips!"

As they speak and watch one villager sees a black figure from the corner of his eye. He turns quickly to the forest's edge but sees nothing.

"You see something?"  
>"Um, no, I guess not…"<p>

"_The_ Estate of Inuyasha-sama's family," responds the demon-woman by Kaede.

"You mean Sesshōmaru?"

Her eyes slowly turn to the old woman, "Yes, Sesshōmaru-sama. You say he visits this village to see the girl…?"

"He does. He visits Rin quite frequently."

"And why is that girl under _your_ care and not his?"

"She needs to live among her own kind and learn."

She quietly smirks.

"Is there something you find amusing, Miss?"

"It's nothing." – _You've lost her already, woman._

"Why was Inuyasha suddenly taken to his brother's estate? He had never done so before, and their relationship hasn't improved that greatly."

"There were… sudden unforeseeable circumstances."

"But you're all so thorough; it's hard to believe that anything 'unforeseeable' could happen without your knowledge," Kaede says dryly.

"The world is full of surprises. I'm sure you know this well."

* * *

><p>The servant has lead the gang to a series of sheds – a workshop.<p>

"You there."

"Ah, yes Muōka-san?"

"Inuyasha-Bōcchama would like to see your work."

"Ohh! A-absolutely – of course! It would be an honor," he bows and runs off. He returns with a cloaked individual with drooping bangs, a ponytail and a passive smile.

"Th-that's him!" cries Shippō from Kagome's shoulder.

"What, what is that?" Inuyasha sniffs it. It, it doesn't smell _alive_…

The worker moves about in awkward excitement, wringing his hands and fingers, "Th-this is, we call them 'puppets.' Um, they're a lot of hard work, well uh, the body's kinda easy at least compared to the, to the scroll inside since that's so tricky! Uh, well the hair's really a pain since you got to keep the wig and strands attached and…. The eyes are, th-they look pretty… dead – but we're working on it!" he elbows the 'puppet.'

"Say hello, give a greeting like, like we showed you. This is Master Inuyasha and his friends."

The puppet tilts its head a little, "Good afternoon Master Inuyasha and friends. How do you do?" Its speech is a little stiff and… delighted.

"This one's pretty new, he doesn't have a name yet and and… not much of a per-son-ali… ty? Uh, we usually use them as drivers for carriages since they don't need a break, and… we're not risking as many lives, but there's usually a guard with them, you know to protect the goods and people they're transporting, but uh… We also use them as scouts, but those ones are usually more… 'developed' since they act a lot more natural, and um… Do you want to name him, Master?"

And suddenly Muōka, who had walked away as the worker was explaining, reappears and *_fwoom!_* swings an ax and chops off an arm!

The gang jumps back startled; Kagome, Shippō, and the twins scream!

"Oh sweet carrot-hopping ribbits! What do you think you're doing Muōka-san!" he screeches as he half collapses.

"Oh my, how unfortunate… It seems I have lost an arm," it looks down at its limb.

Gingerly holding the ax, "Forgive his speech, Bōcchama, they don't get out much. And they spend a lot of time talking to-" he looks at the puppet, "-these."

The worker picks up the arm, "_Geeeeezzzz_ Muōka-san, I mean I know you're the number one servant and all, and you're pretty strong… uh, you swung that ax really really… really _really _hard…" he looks at the arm.

Everyone else stares on. It isn't real. The skin looks like papier-mâché, and underneath is thin wood.

"How did you even do that? It has metal bones! The ax isn't even cracked – that doesn't make sense! Oh and now I'm going to have to make a whole new arm…! You could've cut the forearm off; it would've been a lot easier to replace that!"

Izayoi, "Excuse me, but what is that light coming out of the stump?"

Inuyasha's eyes are narrowed- _This place is weird as hell…_

"Oh, uh that. Um, we put these 'seeds' inside them- there's a magic spell in them, and when we uh, recite the magic incantation it sends these strings of demonic energy and that's what allows them to move." He stares at the stump and sighs.

"This is what is at your village. As I told you, there's no need to worry."

"What's all the commotion?" it's Taishō.

Inuyasha sniffs the air, "You've been drinking Dad?"

"Huh?"

Izayoi, "You were drinking? But it's so early."

"What? No. I… a little," he looks at the puppet and points, "What is that?"

Muōka, "They are new additions to _The_ Estate, sir." *blink*

* * *

><p><em>DAY 6<em>

~~The morning~~

Everyone's been confined to a certain piece of _The_ Estate, a rather small area considering the ground's vast size, so today, on this refreshing morning, Taishō acts as a bit of tour guide to the forest. Accompanying him are Izayoi, Kagome, Shippō, Kohaku, Sango and Kilala. Inuyasha and Miroku have been left back to care for the children who were asleep when they departed.

"Isn't it dangerous to have a wild forest surrounding The Estate?" asks Kohaku.

"Yes and no. The thing is the demons that live within the forest act as a first or second line of defense."

"Why could it be second?"

"There's a barrier but… it's complicated."

But Izayoi chimes in, "We have time."

"I'm sorry but exactly how it works is a secret, and it wouldn't be wise to say how it does work out here with so many ears. I hope you understand."

Shippō crosses his arms, "Ah yes, the legendary barrier…" *serious and thoughtful pause*

Kagome, "What about it?"

"Nobody's figured out how it works."

*group sweatdrop*

"That's great to hear~" says Taishō.

They continue walking, "Otō-sama has always had this desire to make _The_ Estate surpass the property of any lord around, so he'll add anything that he thinks will do the trick. He'll also import many things from the places he's visited: architectural ideas, books, treasures, individuals, clothes, and exotic animals and plants."

Kagome, "But wouldn't introducing foreign animals and plants disrupt the native ecosystem?"

Everyone else stares at her.

"Ee-ko…?"

Kagome begins to blush. It was something she learned in the life sciences: invasive species. This was a problem in the modern world in certain areas, so she couldn't help but wonder how Grandpa's intentional introduction of these foreign species and then letting them run around in an _unenclosed_ forest hadn't caused a drastic change to Japan's ecosystem in her time unless… Is this an alternate timeline?

Wait, no, it wasn't her place to think about something like that. Furthermore, such topics were beyond her understanding and were best saved for Sci-Fi but then… she, the reincarnation of a priestess, with holy powers, who was born with a wish-granting jewel – that crossed space and time after being burned – inside her body, _is_ currently 500 years in the past talking to what she long considered to be nothing more than but part of a fairy tail: a yōkai, and one who has been brought back from the dead 200 years after the fact…

What about her being there? Has her bringing potato chips and cup noodles and bandages and running around in a modern school-girl uniform changed the future? Or was it meant to be and somehow all those things are forgotten? What if she has indeed changed the future and _created_ a new timeline? Isn't that called the butterfly effect or something…?

"Kagome-chan?"

She snaps out of it, "Oh, don't mind me! Ehehehe…"

Taishō gives her a concerned look, "Are you worried about the animals wandering the rest of the land?"

"Uh… Yes."

"Don't worry, Otō-sama didn't want any of them falling into the hands of others so easily, so he arranged it such that the barrier keeps them in."

Shippō, "Wait… wait, how? But… a barrier keeps things out… it can't do both, can it? *blink blink* Why is the barrier so confusing!"

"To keep the enemy guessing~" and Taishō gives a warm, bright-eyed smile (and maybe with a sunny sparkly background).

Shippō's eyes widen and he blushes a little. Yes. Of course that's why the barrier is so confusing.

Izayoi's eyes perk up a little, although it's not directed at her, it still reminds her of the times it has been.

Akiyo may have had a point about how his smile was the reason why the mothers of his children had his children.

Shippō stares on- _Inuyasha's dad is awesome…! He's powerful __and__ super nice – how are those jerks Inuyasha and Sesshōmaru even __related__ to him?_

"Um, Shippō?" Kohaku nudges the little fox-boy, "Everyone's going on without us."

"Oh, sorry…"

"So what kind of animals live here?" asks Sango.

"Well… one of the first things Father brought back from his travels was a tiger cub that he said was from a cold land* when I was a child… He gave her to us as a pet; we called her Mikan-chan." (Mikan means _tangerine_)

"Isn't that… dangerous?" asks Izayoi hesitantly. If that's how he was raised then… then how would he have raised Inuyasha?

"Normally yes, but Mikan-chan had a mortal fear of Father and a fear of Akiyo. That's the thing about creatures, even large, ferocious predators-"

At the words 'large,' 'ferocious,' and 'predator' the women flinch in horror at the sheer reckless endangerment, even if it did happen ages ago, meanwhile Kohaku and Shippō listen wide-eyed thinking that Grandpa giving his a children a _freaking tiger _was the coolest thing ever. Oh they don't even **know.**

"-like that: they recognize when they are up against an even greater predator and act accordingly. I'm sure Mikan-chan understood that if she ever behaved badly toward me or Miji that Akiyo or Father would be more than capable of handling her with their bare hands." He nods.

"How old were you?"

"About… ten? I'm pretty sure Miji was about five or six…"

*_gaaaaaasp_*

"Oh but one day we were playing tag with her in front of the entrance and… She was a big girl by then *sigh* he didn't know, he thought she was a threat…"

"What happened?" asks Kohaku genuinely interested.

Taishō looks away, "Tōtōsai killed her."

^^ Little Hiroshi had an arm around her neck, and little Mijirin had her small arms laid over her head, they both had their faces buried in her fur as they sobbed. Akiyo, who looked past his mid-teens, dropped to his knees before her body.

Mother Udui stood to the side, eyes wide in horror. Mikan's body had been hit with the swordsmith's hammer. It was one blow to the side, but it had been enough.

Tōtōsai sat atop his cow speechless. He had never actually seen such a beast in person, least did he suspect that it was their **pet.**

"Rraaaaaaahhhh!" *_BOOM_* Father Mikazuki tackled Tōtōsai off his cow and began to slap each side of his face, "What *_smack_* the *_smack_* hell *_smack_* did you *_smack_* think you were *_smack_* doing!" he grabbed him by the collar, "Do you have any idea how much she cost me!"

"Waaaahhhh! Mikan-chan!"  
>*sniff* *sob*<p>

Akiyo raised her paw, tears stinging the corners of his eyes, "We never even got the chance to hunt game at Mt. Fuji… I heard you were from a land of snow, you would've liked it there…" he put his cheek on her paw- *sniff*

"I'm so sorry Master but… that thing was big enough to eat my cow!"

"You're damn straight it was!" Mikazuki looked back at his children, "Daddy will get you another if you want, okay~?" and then he turned back to the older man and brought down a wallop, "Hggrr!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! They get free swords for life I promise!" ^^

"That's horrible…" laments Shippō.

"Yes, it was…"

Even Kilala lowered her head and gave a sad, quiet meow.

"Ever since then we've given them all collars."

"_All_?"

"That wasn't the last time he brought animals – Mikan wasn't even the only thing one he brought back that first time. There are a handful of tigers, lions and…" he puts a finger to his chin and looks up, "leopards that are let out into the forest at certain times."

The group suddenly huddles together and looks around.

"Otō-sama even brought these hooded snakes that would dance when he played a flute…"

Kagome petrifies- _No way…! Grandpa brought back cobras?_

"He didn't let those out into the forest though. And he's brought an elephant, and a… rhi… no-ceros? And a panda! Peacocks too…"

Izayoi, "I... I think I need some water…"

Kohaku spots a body of water nearby, "I'll go get you some!" he runs off to that direction.

Taishō quickly looks over – the logs in the water – "Wait…!"

The boy approaches the edge and suddenly the log whips its head in his direction! Others charge toward him from the water…!

Another thing he brought back, something to scare unsuspecting trespassers…

Kohaku digs his heel into the dirt – the crocodile's jaw opened wide and hissing! – A Roar

Taishō with a fang-filled mouth and blood-red eyes, marks wild and claws cracking, hair standing, delivers a ferocious growl making the crocodiles throw themselves back in a terrifying retreat and the canopies explode from the massive fleeing of all the birds in the vicinity!

As Kohaku sits on the ground, face pale and frozen, the flocks cast shadows. He slowly turns his head back to look at Taishō and he clutches the dirt.

Taishō closes his mouth as his fangs recede; the red in his eyes fades away as his hair settles and his face relaxes. His aura calms and he lets out a deep breath.

Kilala and Shippō had leaped into Sango's and Kagome's arms and Izayoi fell to her knees.

In the time she had known him, never had she seen _that_. The worst she had seen him was when he was cold and serious, but never had she imagined herself scared of him.

Kagome immediately knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder, but she did so half-absently. What he did in that instant had been more frightening than any of Inuyasha's own transformations.

"Izayoi!" called Taishō. He looked completely normal now.

He took her hand, "Everything's alright… Forgive me."

She managed a nod.

~~Meanwhile...~~

Miroku, "Go 'aaahh'~"

"Aaaahhh," both twins open their mouths wide.

Miroku pops some food in a mouth only for the other to frown, "I'm sorry, I can only feed one of you at a time," he then feeds her.

The boy is asleep curled up next to Inuyasha.

Inuyasha looks on at Miroku feeding the kids and for just moment imagines, maybe, if that…  
><em>~*~ Taishō and a tiny Inuyasha, "Say 'aaahh'~" "Aaaaahhh" "Here it comes~!" *gulp* "Good boy!" <em>~*~

Is that what it would have looked like? But Inuyasha smiles and looks away- nah… he doesn't seem the type.

"Inuyasha."

"Yeah?"

"Do you like them so far?"

"Um…"

"Your family."

"Well…"  
>^^ Dad grabbing his ears, Grandpa grabbing his ears, Granny grabbing his ears, Auntie grabbing his ears, Uncle grabbing his ears ^^<p>

_Why was that the first thing I thought of…?  
><em>"I really didn't know what to expect of everyone else but Oyaji…"  
>He thinks of his skeleton at the border of the afterlife, the Tetsusaiga and Tenseiga, "I imagined he'd be…"<br>His enemies Ryukotsusei and Shishinki, "that he'd be…"  
>His brother's respect for him, and his mother's sadness, "…tall."<p>

Miroku cracks an awkward smile but then clears his throat, "It's understandable that you would have trouble finding the words to describe your father, after all eloquence isn't your strongest point…"

"Hey."

"I'm sure your mother must've told you what a great and powerful demon he was. It's no wonder you can't put your great expectations into words-"

"Actually Mother… she didn't talk about him too much. It was only after Kagome entered my life that I began to get a better picture of what he must've been like," he grips Tetsusaiga.

"I see…" Miroku looks off to the side. With eyelids lowered and a little smile he continues, "Fortunately you've been given a chance to know him. He seems kind."

"Yeah…" Inuyasha smiles slightly, "He does, huh?"

* * *

><p><em>That's the thing about creatures like that…<br>they recognize when they are up against an even greater predator…_

* * *

><p>Well… wow. Seems when I go a long time without writing the story, when I actually <em>do<em> write the story again I write **a lot.** It also seems this chapter was very focused on The Estate itself and Taishō… Hmm. My focus seems to shift since there's so much...

* * *

><p>*A tiger from a cold land: Grandpa Mika brought back with him a Siberian Tiger, AKA the largest species of tiger in the world.<p>

Gramps doesn't fuck around with presents.

Not that he didn't bring back with him other, smaller, species of tiger. Because. Fuck yes.

**There used to be lions in India before they were hunted to extinction in that area, so no, he didn't go as far as Africa since there was no need to. Elephants from southern and southeast Asia. As for the rhinos, they were Indian and Sumatran rhinos so they were smaller than the African ones we picture. There used to be leopards in the East; historically they could be found as far as Korea.

***There was once a time back when Mikazuki discovered the crocodile and he decided that yes, he wanted a moat around The Estate and fill it with Saltwater Crocodiles. Ultimately he decided against the idea of a complete moat but there remains 2 or 3 "sections" of moat in the forests.

Saltwater Crocodiles can be found from the eastern coast of India and were historically found throughout south-east Asia, but it's now extinct throughout much of this range. Historically they could be found as far west as the eastern coast of Africa and as far east as Japan.  
>They can attain sizes of 7 m (23 ft) and weigh as much as 2,000 kg (4,400 lb). On average an adult male is between 4.3 and 5.2 m (14 and 17 ft) in length and weigh 400–1,000 kg (880–2,200 lb)<p>

Taishō sent a small pack fleeing.


	9. Chapter 9

**I meant for 8 & 9 to be one chapter but the hands got carried away…  
>Wow. I can fucking write. A lot. Go me.<strong>

**If you have suggestions of situations you'd like to see feel free to include them in reviews or PMs~! :D**

**See~ this time the update only took a month, not three**

* * *

><p><span>After Tomorrow<span>- Chapter 9: Kukunuchi

* * *

><p><em>DAY 6<em>

~~The afternoon~~

Tea. With couples only. Time to speak about mature things.

Taishō and Izayoi sit across from Grandpa Mikazuki and Granny Udui. Kagome sits between Izayoi and Inuyasha. Across from them, next to the grandparents, is a tray that holds more snacks and the tea equipment to keep clutter on the table to a minimum. Adjacent to Kagome and Inuyasha are Miroku and Sango. Everyone has a small plate with snacks and a cup of tea.

"Now here's what I don't understand," says Inuyasha, "What the hell's a 'crawk-dail?'"

"A giant swimming lizard with fangs," answers Grandpa, "You can see it later."

Miroku, "I'm having trouble imagining this animal in the size you're all describing to be honest…"

Sango, "At least the Dog General was there to scare them off."

Taishō, "I'm sorry, if I had been keener on where everything was…"

Miroku- _He's humble too… Neither Sesshōmaru nor Inuyasha inherited such qualities, yet they look like him. How strange..._

Grandpa, "Oh what you did was great boy!" he looks at Miroku and Inuyasha, "Look, I'll show you how big the monsters were and you'll understand how impressive scaring them off was. You'll crap on sight. Their jaws are big enough to snap your head off like _that_!" He loudly claps his hands shut to show the speed with which a crocodile snaps its jaws.

Miroku- _That must be it…_

"Otō-sama…"

"What? You know these kids have no idea what any of the marvelously exotic creatures we have here actually look like."

"Then why don't you show us, huh Ojiji?" says Inuyasha.

"In due time dear. Having one of them on the verge of eating the slayer's brother wasn't the time… And that is why you should wait for permission before doing something here."

Taishō, "Do, do _I_ have to ask permission?"

More talking and time passes. Surprisingly (at least to Taishō and Granny who _know _him better) Grandpa hasn't… gone off. Yes, that's a polite way to put it. He's been rather quiet and restrained. This is good.

Then at some point the topic changes to something about children…

"So when are the two of you going to make Roshi a granpapa?" asks Granny sweetly.

Kagome nearly spits out her tea.

Grandpa looks at his son dead in the eye, "Why did you wait so long to find this one to have him, huh? First you wait 'til I'm half-dust to have the first boy and then you wait 'til after we're _dead_ to have another?"

"I didn't do that on purpose, Otō-sama," says Taishō firmly yet nervously.

Grandpa rests his hands on the table, fingers interlaced, and turns his attention toward Inuyasha and Kagome, "Has the marriage been consummated?"

Red spreads across their faces like a firework.

Granny, "You've been together for quite awhile, haven't you?"

"Uh… w-well…" Inuyasha stammers out.

Grandpa looks at Kagome, "What are you, approaching 20?"

"Y-yeah, I'm 18…"

"I know you human women have only a short time in which you are fertile and strong enough to bear healthy children, and if we go by the average age that you people reach during troubled times such as these… well, you're already _half-way to your grave!_"

Mouths part.

"You should be more like your friends here: they already have a set of twins and one more! They're not wasting time..."

Sango, "Th-thank you…?"  
>Miroku, "I do try."<p>

"O-otō-sama! Can't you show some… some… decency?"

*_staaaare_*

Where's the filial respect?

"…if you may be so kind… sir."

"We wouldn't be making such a fuss about this if you had gotten more kids outta your first woman and maybe one or two more outta the second one – you had _plenty_ of time!"

Granny looks over at her son as well with a gently skeptical smile, "You did spend a lot of years with Sesshōmaru's mother… you, you could have had more than just him…" *sweatdrop*

"I…"

Grandpa takes Kagome's hand, the corners of his smirk and eyes seemingly becoming sharper, "Are you worried about losing your spiritual powers and becoming a normal little girl again?"  
>He takes Granny's hand with his other free one without looking back, keeping his gleaming eyes steady on Kagome, "It would be a horrible shame if the bloodline that had suffered so much were to die out so soon for reason of not wanting to lose power. Or… if you <em>really<em> want to keep your power so badly… that can be arranged…" he narrows his eyes, "Strike a deal with a devil…"

Kagome's eyes widen as she grows pale but suddenly Grandpa lets go and pulls back.

He throws both of this hands in the air in that 'calm down'-gesture, closes his eyes and turns his face away, "But if you're uneasy with the aspects of bestial debauchery then rest at ease with the fact that even affluent noble ladies indulge in such activities." He winks as he indicates Izayoi.

Miroku, "Excuse me, Honorable Grandfather, are you saying that…"

"You're a sharp boy," Grandpa nods. He directs himself toward his son, "Hrosh here is certainly no _'man'_ in the sense that he's a human. A **male**, yes, but not a _'man.'_ He's not a human-demon; he's a dog-demon – a furry, four-legged, droopy-eared, tail-waggin', tail-chasin', sniffin', barkin', how-ling **DOG. **And she _savored_ what that dog did. Even had his child."

Izayoi is as red as Inuyasha's clothes, for that matter so is Inuyasha and everyone else; meanwhile Taishō is as white as his own robes.

"So there's no need to be _too_ ashamed of loving a dog in such a carnal way, besides it not like he's a cat or else that would be bad. Cat's have spikes* – why do you think they always yowl so much? But we don't, so it's okay, and it's clear she likes-" he looks at Izayoi, "-'that' about a dog."

Izayoi utters a quick, "What?"

"A dog penis. You had one in you, remember? My~ I don't remember little princesses debasing themselves so much back in my day, but hey, if you like yourself some dog peni-" *_**Boom!**_*

Taishō throws himself across the table tackling his father! The dishes between them break as he scrambles to silence the man! A quick skirmish but Taishō gets back on his feet with his hair a little frazzled. He has a hand over Grandpa's mouth and his other arm under his shoulders; it's very visible how much thinner Grandpa is in comparison.

Through nervous laughter as he drags a struggling Grandpa away and out the door, "D-don't mind him! Forget everything he said please…! *sweatdrop* He's a loon! The senility he gained in old age didn't go away when he was resurrected that's all!" At the senility comment Grandpa kicks about but by then they're out the door and it closes.

Granny, blushing wildly, picks up the teapot. Her shaking hands make the teapot rattle, "Dr-dr-drink…? *gulp* Ehehe…" *sweatdrop*

~~Outside~~

Grandpa pulls Taishō's hand away from his mouth and pushes away.

"The hell's the idea-?" but before he finishes Taishō takes him by the shoulders.

"What is _wrong with you_? I asked you to show some decency – don't you have any restraint? Please, Father, I'm begging you, try to-"

"What's going on with _you_?" he lowers one of Taishō's arms. "You haven't been this worked up over something I said in ages – I'm not even antagonizing! Is that girl so delicate that I can't open my damn mouth? You weren't like this with the other ones!"

He turns around to open the door back inside.

"Father, wait…!" he tries to grab his arm.

"You're acting like this behavior's new!" he pulls away and enters. The others turn around.

"…please, just tone it down a little."

"Well _I'm sorry_ that today's not one of my 'good days'!"

The others look back on them.

"I'm being fitful, yeah – if I could control when I have 'good days' I'd _gladly_have one **every. Day.**" He puts his hands on his hips, "But fortunately it's not one of my really 'bad days' – now I know that's the last thing you'd want!" He turns away, "You'd think after a thousand years of life that my fits wouldn't bother you so much!"

"I didn't reach a thousand years…"

"Regardless, it was centuries of being in my company-" he snaps at a door behind him where a servant is waiting, "Fetch the records. I want exactly how old he was at death."

"Yes, sir."

Grandpa continues, "Last I remember your hair wasn't standing on end nearly as much as it is when I even so much as _look_ at this girl," he points to Izayoi.

Granny, "Mika, you should take a break. You're becoming very distressed…"

"Damn right I'm distressed! He's suddenly snipping at me for things he knows I've done during the whole course of our lives-"

"But Mika, you'll be on your way to a 'bad day' much sooner if you keep this up…!"

"Tch, well now that _would_ be unfortunate," he crosses his arms, "but it's not in me to keep quiet about my stress." He approaches Taishō, "If I keep that in too long," he widens his eyes, "it will come out horribly later on…" he's right in Taishō's face, "so it's best if I have my little tantrums here and there… right?"

He grabs Taishō behind the head and whispers, "You know, I actually _have_ been trying to restrain myself…" he smiles in a smug, twisted way, "You wanna know what I can do when I'm _trying_ to make her uncomfortable?"

He moves the top of his head such that it covers up Taishō's mouth, "Did you know he was that old~?"

Izayoi straightens up in uneasy attention.

"He's been around longer than the great-grandfathers of your great-grandfathers' great-grandfathers!" he takes him by both cheeks, "No… you've been around longer, much longer, that doesn't even cover a quarter of how long you've lived…"

"Did he ever tell you stories about the things he had done during that long life?" Grandpa lets go, "Probably not, after all… you didn't even know about his **son.** There's so many things he hasn't told you…"

Taishō, nearly inaudible save for Grandpa who is still so close, "What are you… what are you trying to do? What are you trying to prove?"

The door opens and a servant with scroll in hand enters, "Here you are, sir."

Grandpa backs away from Taishō and takes it with a hand. He lets it roll open, "Hmph, you always took great care with me Rosh, and you've definitely seen me a lot worse." He looks at the scroll and continues to speak as he reads, "Honestly, you shouldn't be so fazed after eight hundred eigh…"

Grandpa picks the scroll up properly with both hands, his smirk crumbling, "Eight hundred… eighty… eighty-three…" He looks off at the floor, "When I died you were…" his eyebrows knit together as a look of horror spreads across his face, "But Myōga said…"

He shakily looks at Taishō, "You died twenty years after me. That's it? Just _twenty years_?" He blinks, hoping the numbers are wrong, that the first 8 will turn into 9, "… that can't be right. That can't be right. It can't be right. It just can't…!"

Granny looks down and keeps her hands together. She squeezes hard, "…twenty?"

Taishō gently takes his arm, "Otō-sama, let's go, okay?" and he guides him outside to calm those straining nerves.

The door closes quietly.

Granny, "…he didn't last long. I know I didn't last a thing after Mika died but… Roshi… he –" All the tears and blood and pain, "That's not… _fair_."

Inuyasha hears those words echo again- ^^ "You don't know anything…" "Everyone's gone. They died a long time ago…" ^^

* * *

><p><em>DAY 7<em>

~~The early morning~~

The dew on the grass is frosty. Everything's gray and quiet. In some parts of _The_ Estate there begins a light scurrying of feet to begin the day while in others there's a scrambling to hide before the sun rises, but otherwise everything is very still and cold, just like the master of the land.

Sesshōmaru stands looking up at the same black tree Rin cried under not too long ago; it has buds now. He's only wearing two layers of kimonos.

"Aren't you cold?"

Sesshōmaru eyes follow the voice, then lowers and turns his head, "Good morning, Uncle Akiyo."

"Hmph, is that a formality for the deceased Sesshōmaru?"

"You _are_ Chichi-ue's older brother, Uncle."

"It's just so odd hearing you actually call me 'uncle' – makes me sound old." He calmly stared at Sesshōmaru. He was certainly older and taller, but he was also so much more indifferent. He hadn't necessarily been a grinning bubbly youth back then, but there was definitely something missing now…

"You have the expression of a satisfied old man and you died at a fair age, Akiyo."

Akiyo smiles at that – just 'Akiyo' – just like before.

They both look up at the tree.

"Akiyo, how do you still have that face? How… can you be at peace with _that_?"

He looks at the young man- _There's the fire_… And he can see that fire brimming underneath that face, beginning to crack through.

*sigh* "You can really hold a grudge. It's not a surprise really but… but… you're too young to be so bitter, Sesshōmaru."

Before Sesshōmaru can respond Akiyo answers him, "She didn't make you bitter; you had a choice."

Sesshōmaru turns away and scoffs.

Akiyo gives a bittersweet half-smile- _Stubborn brat._

~~Mid-morning~~

"Ariiiiiiiiii~! Isn't the day beautiful, Rin-chan?" Auntie Mijirin stands tall atop the railings with arms akimbo.

The sky is a bright blue again and the grass a bright green.

"It is." Rin looks up at her. "Um… Mijirin-Oba-sama, shouldn't you get down from there?" Fortunately they're on the first floor, still though, she's a bit shorter than Rin.

"I told you there's no need to call me that. Miji's fine, and 'Oba-sama' is way too much."

"But… you're Sesshōmaru-sama's aunt… Miji-sama? Oba-chan?"

"Nda." (let me see)  
>Mijirin hops down from the railing, "What about… if you wanna keep callin' me 'aunt' how about '<em>baa-chii<em>'?"

"Bachi?"

"'Auntie.' Or add '-_mee_' to 'Miji'– that indicates respect."

"Miji-mee…?"

"Oh!" Mijirin takes her hand suddenly, "What about '´nmii'? It's big sister!"

Rin stares into those big sparkling happy green eyes with great hesitation, "Mijinmi?"

"´Nmii."

"Uhnmii…?"

"Miji-´nmii."

"Mijin-mii?"

No blinking, "…Sure." Close enough. Can't blame her for not being able to say a glottal ´n at the beginning of a word.

Mijirin suddenly grins and pinches Rin's cheeks, "I remember back when Setchan was this little! He was so cute~!" she puffs up her own cheeks.

"Nnn…! But Mijin-mii…" she lets go of her face, "how do you know what Sesshōmaru-sama looked like when he was little when you're so little?"

Mijirin's face darkened as a mischievous little smirk spread across her face and her eyes sleeked, "It's a long story about playing god. Wanna hear?"

Although Rin followed Sesshōmaru around, someone who was considered frightening due to his cold-blooded ruthlessness, somehow she found little Mijirin to be quite a scary girl. Maybe it was because she stood at eye level with her?

"I'm okay. Some other time, Mijin-mii." Rin smiles.

And Mijirin too, smiles, normally and warmly – "Oh! Speaking of Setchan, I wanna show you something!" she takes Rin's hand and runs off in an unknown direction.

Rin's made to wait for a few moments as the other girl fetches whatever it is that she wants to show her.

*_gasp_* Rin feels a hand placed on her shoulder from behind.

"Here."

Before Rin can question how Mijirin appeared from behind, Auntie slips the stem of the tiny blue tulip-like plant into her ponytail.

Rin reaches up to touch it and slips it out of her hair.

"I'm sure Setchan will approve of you wearing it, besides the blue looks good with that purple kimono."

"Thank you very much Mijin-mii but um…"

"It won't wilt easy." She sees that Rin still has more questions. An inquisitive girl. She likes that.

"I'll let you in on a lil secret, but just a bit of it," she whispers as she takes the flower from Rin. She picks up a pebble and puts into Rin's hand, then walks some way and lays the flower on the ground and returns to Rin's side.

"Take aim and fire." She indicates the flower with her eyes.

Rin throws the pebble and it flies on course toward the flower, sure to hit, but it doesn't – a quiet buzz and a few blue sparks – the pebble bounces back.

The human girl turns toward the demon girl with wide eyes and the other responds while staring on at the flower with a look of satisfaction, "Don't tell anybody~"

~~The afternoon~~

Kagome's walking around looking at the scenery when she comes across Inuyasha in the halls.

"There you are!" she walks up to him. "What's that?" she points at the cup that Inuyasha was sipping from.

Inuyasha backs the drink away, "Um… nothing much. You wouldn't like it..."

"How do you know? At least let me try it," she reaches for the cup but Inuyasha steps aside.

"I told you, you're not gonna like it."

"But what is it?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Come on, it can't be anything bad."

"It's milk and honey…"

"That sounds good-!"

"…and blood."

Kagome lets out a little squeak, honestly trying to not outright go 'eww.'

"See! Told you that you wouldn't like it!"

"Um…" what to say? It's probably a dog and/or demon thing so good for him, but it's still a little… "Where did you get that?"

Inuyasha looks away as he brings the cup to his lips, "…Obaba." *_siiiiiipppp_*

"Oh. That's um…" she gives an awkward smile, "great…!" *awkward laugh*

"…It's just cow blood; don't worry. Granny said that it's not the family habit to eat humans, mostly 'cuz Gramps said human meat's tough and flavorless so he never made her eat it and they never made their kids eat it."

Kagome squints- _Wait… so Grandpa's… tried __human flesh__? _She thinks back on that sharp smirk he gave her yesterday when he was – in all honestly what sounded like he was trying to convince her to sell her soul. _At least he didn't enjoy it…_

"She said that Sesshōmaru's mother's family does eat humans though, but that Dad kinda made sure that he never acquired a taste for it."

"Oh-um that's…" Is that really a good thing? From her human perspective it's good that a demon doesn't like to eat humans, but amongst demons _is_ that a 'good thing'?

"It's relieving." Inuyasha's staring into the cup, looking at the gold and reddish-pink and white colors swirling together. He's smiling, "They don't… It's nice."

They're not going to pressure him. They're not going to find it weird. They won't see it as making him less of a demon or more of a weakling. Because no one else does it, it won't be strange.

"I'm happy for you, Inuyasha."

He looks up at her, "Thanks."

Kagome notices that he looks back down but not at the cup; he's looking at his sleeve. The look in his eyes… Is it because it was a memento? He had told her that his mother had given him the robe of the fire rat. Was he imagining what it would have been like to have the whole family together? Was he longing for a reality where that happened? But she didn't ask; it didn't feel right to do so. If he wanted to talk, then that's when he would talk.

~~Evening~~

"Inuyasha, come on! We're going to be late for dinner…!" Kagome pleads with Inuyasha in their room.

"For the last time: I am **not** going to dinner!"

"But I'm sure they'll understand!"

Inuyasha's in the corner with a sheet over his head, "Look, I don't think they're gonna get upset just because I don't show up to dinner one time!"

*knock knock knock knock*  
>"Bōcchama, your family would really like to know why you haven't appeared at the dinner table yet."<p>

Inuyasha peeks out from under the sheet revealing his black hair and brown eyes, "You're kidding," he says to himself.

"M-Muōka-san! Inuyasha's just… he's not feeling well!" cries out Kagome. She nudges Inuyasha.

"Oh, yeah…! I don't feel well!" *koff koff*

"….Bōcchama, you are aware that… I am also a dog. I… I can smell it."

"Crap."

*sigh* "It's best you come out. Now. Please. It's for your benefit. Now would be a great."

*_FWHAM!_* The door slams open!

"Alright, what the hell's the hold up you little shi-!" Grandpa stops with a hand still on his hip and the other hand still on the door to stare at Inuyasha and Kagome.

Akiyo, Taishō, Mijirin, and Granny peek from behind him and behind them are Izayoi, Sango, Miroku, Kohaku, Shippo and Muōka.

Sango, "We tried but…"

~~Moments before~~

Grandpa was drinking from his cup, eyebrows furrowed and twitching, then he banged the cup on the table, "Where the hell's that kid!"

Taishō looked over at Inuyasha's friends, "Is he alright?"

Miroku, "Oh, it's nothing to worry over."  
>Sango, "He has reasons for not coming."<br>Izayoi tugged his shoulder, "We should go on without him. He would want that."  
>Shippō, "Yup! So let's get eating!"<p>

Mijirin draws circles on the table with her finger, "But it's not the same if Inuyo-chan's not here…" she sulks.

Sesshōmaru's in the corner with Rin and Jaken again. He watches as Muōka quietly slips away to go get Inuyasha. Sesshōmaru doesn't make a single remark about Inuyasha's condition or whereabouts and doesn't plan to anytime soon. He's only watching.

Grandpa's tapping his fingers on the table then he slams his hands down and rises to his feet, "That's it! I'm gonna get that little punk!"

Granny looks up at him, "But Mika, you ditch meals all the time."

He looks down at her, "Can he defeat me in combat!" he questions.

"…No…?" (wasn't present at their fight).

With a fist in the air, "Then I will drag his ass back here and he will eat at the table as it should be!" and off he marches!

Taishō looks at Izayoi whose face… He knows she would never say such things out loud, but her face is screaming in severe bewilderment and disbelief.

Yes Izayoi, that man is Dearest's father. In all his slim, manic, offensive glory. And yes, this man is your father-in-law. Fully capable of decapitating your son in a heartbeat without breaking a sweat.

Akiyo gets up, "This should be good," and follows his father.  
>Then Mijirin hops onto her feet, "Wait for me!"<br>Granny gets up too and so does the rest of the gang.

Taishō takes Izayoi's hand, "Trust me, it's better when he's excitable." He helps her up.  
>Especially compared to yesterday…<p>

They follow everyone else outside.

Sesshōmaru remains seated. Rin and Jaken look up at him; guess he doesn't want to join in.

* * *

><p>Grandpa remains there, eyes wide open, "Holy crap, he's turned into a human boy."<p>

"Noooooo!" Mijirin falls to her hands and knees, "Not the ears! Anything but the ears! _Why!_" she hits the floor.

Grandpa immediately walks over.

Taishō, "He's human…" He follows behind. Then so does everyone else with white hair.

They all gather around Inuyasha. Some touch his black hair, one takes his clawless hand, some stare right into his brown eyes, and Mijirin scruffs up the top of his head.

"They're really gone," she says those words without excitement or dismay.

"When does this happen?" asks Taishō. He had heard that human transformations happen periodically to half-demons.

Inuyasha tried not to look at him in the eye, nobody's eyes. He hadn't felt such embarrassment in ages – if only he could disappear. He muttered, "The, the night of the new moon."

He was feeling normal. He didn't look out of place: everyone had white hair and brightly-colored eyes; claws and fangs; although Inuyasha's ears were more dog-like, at least everyone else's were pointed; and everyone had a sharp nose that they used to sniff around.

And now he looked like an ordinary human. A plain human. He knew they were smelling him. Normally humans were nothing special or noticeable, but right now it's what made him look the most different from any of them. What made it worse was that they weren't saying anything.

None would say it out loud, but half of them found Inuyasha's human appearance off-putting. It was a kind of uncanny valley for them: something familiar yet unfamiliar. His facial features were the same but the colors were wrong. While this they could try to ignore by not looking directly at him, instead keeping their focus skewed on his nose or clothes or something, what couldn't be ignored, the 'perspective' that couldn't be changed, was the _smell._

One can't ignore a smell or impose on it a memory of what was; it was the most basic and primal sense in animals, and the most dominant among themselves. He still smelled like 'Inuyasha' – that was familiar, but what was off was how it was no longer a demon-human mix, it was **only human** – that was unfamiliar. It was wrong. It was still Inuyasha's scent but it **wasn't** his scent at the same time. It _felt_ wrong.

To some, there was something even more wrong about this human-version. They could still recognize familial features, the ones he inherited, like the size and shape of his eyes and nose, his cheekbones, his mouth, the texture of his hair and the way it kinked… It was still recognizable that he was related. It was them. Completely without power. It was unsettling.

"We'll have dinner here."

Inuyasha snapped his head back at them. He was so lost in his thoughts that he wasn't sure who had said it.

"If you want."

"Uh…"

Taishō placed a hand on top of Inuyasha's head, "There, there."

Fingers snap – Kohaku turns to find that the servant's left.  
>A rustle – Shippō turns around and peeks under the walkway. There's a vine of small blue tulip-like flowers. Those won't there before… right? Besides why would flowers be <em>there<em>?

* * *

><p>The door of the dining room was left open. Sesshōmaru steps out into the open air.<p>

"Lord Sesshōmaru?" Rin stands by his side, as does Jaken.

"Half of them don't even know…" he looks back at the table – _tombstones side by side and red petals…_

He shuts his eyes.

Rin with the flower still in her hair, "Don't you want to be by them, Sesshōmaru-sama?"

"…I do." He opens his eyes – _a cold mangled limp body dressed in white stained red by blood and black by burns with broken armor and a lifeless face that once used to smile with such warmth…_

Sesshōmaru clasps a hand over his mouth.

"My lord!" cries Jaken.

"Let's go."

The smaller ones look at each other as worried as ever but they follow nonetheless.

_I haven't though of that in a long time. It must be because of __that smell__… Hmph, and to think it's barely beginning to appear._

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p>*Male cat penises have a band of about 120–150 backwards-pointing penile spines, which are about one millimeter long. So when they pull out… That's why if you hear a yowl… it's probably cats doing it.<br>Dogs on the other hand, do not have that. Whether or not cat demons…  
>Even if they don't, Gramps doesn't care (he probably knows though), he just wanted to make them look bad but he was necessarily lying, he <em>was<em> being honest but again this is assuming they _don't_. If they do though…

* * *

><p><strong>Plans always change.<strong>

**What I wanted to go immediately after this will now be Chapter 10. It's long enough.  
>And then what I originally wanted to be Chapter 10 will be pushed back into Chapter 11.<br>There are two scenes here in Chapter 9 – ideas only, they weren't written then pasted to another document – will be shown in 11. Probably. Taisho calming down his father and what Granny said to Inuyasha.**

**What I originally outlined as Chapter 8 has now broken down into 8, 9 and 10. A good 10,000 words from the looks of it (not counting any A/Ns, but including what I have written so far for upcoming Ch. 10).**


	10. Chapter 10

**If you're curious, there's art of the family and other things: go to deviantart- my username's **_Black-Richa_**- go to my favorites folder and find the sub-folder titled "Special". And maybe visit my gallery for some of what I've done…? go to the sub-folders "Bits of OC" and "OC Other."  
>My dear friend MonotoneJynx has done quite a lot of the work… Thanks very much to her and the others who've helped create an image of my characters ^-^ So very very much.<strong>

**By the way, the chapter titles, I've really just been counting in the Okinawan dialect.  
>After this chapter there will be proper titles.<strong>

**Saying this now because by the end of the chapter these A/Ns just… wouldn't go with the mood…**

**PS **_I've noticed that certain fonts on FF show the squiggly line as a dash. I use squigglies a lot: for scene changes and dialogue.  
>If this ~ looks like a dash to you and not a squiggly, please change your font. Because I use dashes for specific purposes as well… Thank you.<em>

* * *

><p>After Tomorrow- Chapter 10: Tuu<p>

* * *

><p><em>DAY 8<em>

"Sesshōmaru…!"

Sesshōmaru freezes up a tad at his father calling him, but he turns around coolly, "Good morning, Chichi-ue. Is something the matter?"

"You've turned into quite a ghost; I don't see you but when I do you don't say a thing." He sees that he's waiting for an answer to his question, "I wanted to talk to you."

Sesshōmaru's looking at the ground- _He actually washed it off…_

"My sincerest apologies, Chichi-ue. The behavior I displayed when I arrived… it was unbecoming of me. I'm sorry that I caused you so much trouble; you deserve more respect than that."

Taishō's eyes widen, "Sesshōmaru, no, I understand why you…"

"It was a moment of panic." He looks up at him. "It's just that… when you died I…" He looks around. He can't find the words or at least he doesn't _want_ to put into words, to admit it.

Sesshōmaru takes a breath, "I accepted what happened. It took a long time but I had to. There was no other choice. I couldn't… I couldn't talk to any of you; you were all gone. I couldn't get an answer and there was nothing I could do about it. So I moved onto finding Tetsusaiga…"

Taishō puts a hand on Sesshōmaru's arm. He looks down at his father's hand, "I did cry. When you died. I haven't shed a tear since. Even if I want I can't."

Sesshōmaru takes his father's hand from his arm and holds on for awhile. In another time, years ago, he would have cracked a slight smile…

"When I saw you and… It brought back so much. So many questions and memories and feelings that… It was overwhelming. I, I had a little breakdown. That's all it was Father. I'm sorry that I caused you all such trouble."

Taishō shakes his head lightly and blinks. What brought that on…? Had he been thinking everything over these past few days? It wasn't like him to talk about such things but it also wasn't like him to do what others say, so he hadn't been coaxed into doing this.

He hugs Sesshōmaru, "You don't need to apologize so much."

Sesshōmaru rested his head and closed his eyes. He wanted to close his eyes, like before. "You should be with Inuyasha. He can give you the expressions that I can't anymore."

Taishō grabs his shoulders and pulls away staring, "S-Sesshōmaru…? Are you okay?"

Sesshōmaru looks up at him, "I… I…" He was barely ever to say it before, "He doesn't yet. And he should. And he should respect you." His eyebrows raise, "Maybe that will fix him."

_Hmph_.  
>"So you want your little brother fixed?"<p>

"Absolutely. He's a loud, rude, dense, impulsive and ignorant imbecile."

"You do realize… that half of what you said describes your grandfather, right?"

"…I am aware."

Taishō can't help but crack a smile. He cups both hands under Sesshōmaru's ears and kisses him atop the head.

Sesshōmaru's eyes widen a little as he thinks back to all the times Taishō showed him affection throughout his life- ^^_"Welcome home, Chichi-ue. Are you okay?"A pat on the head, and a smile from both._^^

"How about we have lunch with Inuyasha? It'll just be us, I swear."

He looks away, "Why with him?"

"You're my children."

Sesshōmaru tries to keep himself from visibly pouting, "…The best I can promise you is civil indifference."

"That's a start."

Sesshōmaru worked up the nerve – no, he moved through his rigidness and reached out to rest his hands and head on his father's chest and shoulder. He closed his eyes, "I haven't been sleeping well."

Taishō wraps his arms around him and smiles, "You should take a nap. And I'll stay. If you want me to."

Just one good sleep, even a short one, to worry Rin and Jaken just a little less. Lines were beginning to show under his eyes… He just wanted one good sleep, one free from those images, and free of worry.

~~Later…~~

"There you are…!"

"Oh hey Oyaji, what's—I mean, how are you?" Inuyasha gives a slight nervous laugh. He's putting _some_ effort into being more respectful toward his father.

Taishō grabs Inuyasha's ears, "You look better with these~" *bwoop bwoop*

"Uhhhm… Oyaji?"  
>He could smell that he had been close to Sesshōmaru and for awhile too seeing as how it wasn't exactly faint. And he noticed that Taishō's face was brighter, as well as his eyes… The hell happened?<p>

Taishō let go, "Sorry."

"Did… you have a good morning, Dad?"

"…Yes."  
><em>No questions, eh?<em>

"That's… good… to… know, I-um'm glad to hear it." *nod*

*stare*

Taishō brings Inuyasha to his bosom! Squeezes tight! Rubs his face into his ears! And swiveling side to side, "Oh my- that is _**adorable~! **_Are you really trying to speak like that for me~? Ouh, you sound like a baby learning how to speak~! **That. Is.**_** Sooooooooo cu~ute~!**_"

Inuyasha's face is beat-red, his eyes huge, mouth open…  
>*<em>mental shatter<em>*

"Waaaaaahhh….!" Inuyasha pushes away and stumbles back, "Wh-wha-wh-what th-th-the….!" He points wildly.

"What's wrong, Aka-chan?"  
>*affectionate way of saying 'baby'<p>

"A-a-a-ak-akuh-akuhkuh-aka-chan!"

"Of course~" Taishō walks up to him and grabs his ears again, "I'd like to call you 'puppy' for the ears but your big brother's already 'puppy' and since you're the younger _and_ half-human 'baby' still fits!"

*_blu~uuuuuuussshhhhhhhhhhh_*

Taishō hugs him again, "You really are such a cute baby~!" *mwah~!*

He's steaming.

Sesshōmaru's little napping request had sparked something anew: all of Taishō's doting fatherliness. He had not died feeling as such; the ones he did pass on with were far more grim; and so that's how he had returned despite his efforts to change it. With all that went on these past few days that affection hadn't been stirring back up and out.

Taishō lets go and claps his hands together, "Your expression~! He was right about your face!"

"…Wh-what? Mah-m-my face? _Who_ was right?"

But Taishō turns away, hands together, eyes sparkling, "I can only imagine… what it would've been like if I got to raise _both_ of you together~! With those faces…! So red… the stuttering and the wild flailing~ _You both would've been __**so adorableeeeeeeeeeee!**_"

He opens his eyes, fists before his chest, "No. What if… you were only a few years apart – like three or four…!"

~*~_Imagine Spot: A four-year old Inuyasha and a seven-year-old Sesshōmaru roll around in a play fight. Little Sesshōmaru pulls on Inuyasha's ears causing him to cry so he runs up to Taishō rubbing his eyes and pointing at Sesshōmaru, "Daaaadyyyyyy…!"  
>Sesshōmaru also runs up to him. "It's not my fault! He bit me!" he says while tugging at him.<em>~*~

"No, even if the age difference was the same as now, but instead I had lived and maybe…"

~*~_A younger Sesshōmaru sits with a toddler Inuyasha at his knees petting his ears…  
>"Nii-chan~!"<em>~*~

*sigh* "Shame things weren't so fortunate… We really have no luck." He looks over at Inuyasha, "Is something the matter?"

He's standing there, frozen, processing, blinking, "I… I have his scent on me… Ewwww!" he tries swiping off his clothes, "I have Sesshōmaru's smell on me…!"

"What's so wrong with that…?" *idea* "Oh. Speaking of your brother that reminds me."

He stops, "What?"

"Let's have lunch together: you, me and your brother. If you're not busy."

"Keh, you gotta be joking."

"That also reminds me…" he lifts up Inuyasha chin, "Since Sesshōmaru is the head of the clan and the only one who is 'alive,' he's the only one truly left who can initiate you into the family allowing you to officially take on the name. I'd like to see that before it's too late."

"Wait… initiation? The, the family name?"

"It's exactly what it sounds like. …The two of you should really talk. It'll just be the three of there, okay? This will be the only time I ask."

"Well… uh, alright. I-I'll go."

"You really are a good baby," he gives him a kiss on the forehead.

*blush* "You're not going to be saying that stuff in front of Sesshōmaru, are you?"

~~Lunch~~

_Calm… Still… Tranquility…_

Sesshōmaru sits with his fists on his knees before the already set lunch. He's waiting for them.

_Calm… Still… Tranquility… Calm… _His eyebrow's twitching. _**Still…**__ Tranqu—_

The door opens.

Without looking up, "Good afternoon, Father. I look forward to a pleasant meal with you."

*throat clearing*

"…Afternoon, little brother…" *twitch*

Inuyasha was hoping to hear the same respectful speech but alas… Although it did seem _weird_ to hear him speak like that at all to anyone.

"Sit down across from him please~" Taishō gently orders.

He does and Taishō sits adjacent to both of them, "Good afternoon, Sesshōmaru. You look more well-rested now." While still smiling toward Sesshōmaru, "Inuyasha, greet your brother. He greeted us, it's only right."

*twitch* "…Hey."

"You call that a greeting?" Sesshōmaru raises his gaze…

*bzzzzttt* from the glaring eye-lightning!

"Well we should begin," Taishō picks up the sticks. The boys follow suit. "Let us begin, okay~?"

"Let us begin," both stiffly repeat while still glaring.

All take a bite. And then a few more after that.

"Hey Sesshōmaru, I've wanted to ask, _who_ exactly is the little girl to you?"

"Rin is…"  
>^^<em>Sesshōmaru sitting Rin down and teaching her to spell… Running up to him arms outstretched, "Sesshōmaru-samaaa!"… Giving gifts… Leaving her with Kaede… Correcting behavior… Scolding her – punishing Jaken instead… Warning her of danger… Holding her cold little body tight while in the depths of Hell, regretting ever letting her come along… her waking up and that hand on her cheek… Saving her… Telling her to shut up… When she first began to speak again… Being presented with little bouquets… Cleaning her up and giving her that orange kimono…<em>^^

"Is… is she your pet?" asks Taishō.

"No."  
>^^<em>Opening her eyes as her heart beat once again…<em>^^

Inuyasha looks to the side- _That's not it…  
><em>^^_Rin hanging off Sessh_ō_maru's shoulders, leaning his head on hers…_^^

"She is… my…" He closes his eyes- ^^_Rin smiling despite the bruises on her face and missing a tooth, all because he asked what happened…_^^  
>He opens his eyes, "<span>Mine.<span>"

Taishō's taken slightly aback. His answer was definitive and he could see the certainty in his eyes. Finally, he was coming along…

"That's... great." Taishō lowers his head smiling, "And your little brother?"

The boys flinch.

"What about him?"

"You mentioned that you focused on Tetsusaiga, but it seems you've let it go, so are you satisfied with Tenseiga?"

The brothers glare at each other.

Sesshōmaru speaks, "Inuyasha has the Meidō. I mastered it and he acquired it, as you wished. If you didn't know."

"But…" _Then how is Tenseiga still…?_

Inuyasha, "You broke Tenseiga on Tetsusaiga, but it came back to you whole after its light guided us out of the Meidō."

Taishō, "Wait then – how can…"

"It doesn't matter to him." Inuyasha answers firmly, "No matter what happens he's still as heartless as ever."

"You should stop talking; you're getting annoying."

He grits his teeth, "You've proven that you'd rather **die** than accept my help."  
>That time with Magatsuhi, when he was almost swallowed…<p>

"Why do you even care?" Sesshōmaru retorts.

Something… That sharp answer struck something; a nerve deep inside; a memory ages buried; a wish long abandoned.

Inuyasha's hair stands, his lips pull back showing his fangs, his eyes widen, everything tightens…

"Because you're supposed to be my fucking _brother!_" He grabs Sesshōmaru from across the table by the collar – he immediately reacts, grabs Inuyasha by the top of the hair and throws him onto the dishes crashing! Taishō yells stop – Sesshōmaru swings an arm at the younger – it hits but then Inuyasha bites! Sesshōmaru pulls back!

Inuyasha pushes himself up and Taishō helps him. The left side of Inuyasha's face is cut, right side's bruised, his clothes stained, "You said… that we were destined to fight until the day we die…"

Sesshōmaru's on his feet.

"Now what the hell kinda person… says that to their own brother…!" Inuyasha's voice is shaking in frustration. He rises to his feet as well.

They look at each other and Taishō looks on at them both.

Inuyasha's breath is heavy.

Sesshōmaru responds severely, "You all… weren't worth what happened."

Inuyasha steps back, "You never even bothered… to see if that was actually true…" he turns toward the door. He slams it open, "You know Dad..." he turns around, "I _have_ been trying! I've tried to talk to this bastard… but he, but he's still just so…! I'm tired of trying! …I'm done." He turns back, "I'm sorry that we can't get along, Oyaji." He closes the door.

Taishō turns back to see Sesshōmaru leaving in the opposite direction as well. Another door closes.

Taishō slowly looks at the table: broken dishes; spilled contents, running off the edges; a crack in the table; drops of blood…

He shakes his head slowly, in horror and denial- _They can't stand each other. They really… they really do… _He buries his face in his hands-_**…hate**__ each other._

* * *

><p>Sesshōmaru's walking down the halls.<p>

Muōka's coming from the opposite direction, "Oh, Sesshō-sama, I expected lunch to take longer…" he smiles.

He stops and narrows his eyes, "What is that you have in your hands?"

He looks down at the scroll, "It's the family tree, sire."

"Why are you carrying that around?"

"I, I was to show it to Young Master Inuyasha. Your dear father asked that I bring it because you were to discuss the family initiation process with him. After all, Inuyasha-Bōcchama does not officially bear the family's name, his name isn't even on the tree yet and I doubt that he was truly given the name of his human line, but then that would imply that he would _want _something so… mediocre."

"The name…" Sesshōmaru's eyes widen slightly.

"Sesshō-sama, what happened? Did things not fair well?"

He recomposes to his aloof self, "Don't ask needless questions, Muōka. It makes you seem foolish."

The corner of his smile twitches, "Ex_cuse_ me, master…?"

"Put away the family tree; it won't be needed."

"Yes, sir." *bow*

"And thank you," Sesshōmaru adds as he walks past him.

"Pardon?" he turns around confused.

"You've given me an idea for what to do with my brother."

"…You're welcome?"

* * *

><p>~~The late afternoon~~<p>

"What's wrong with Inuyasha?"  
>"He's been moody all afternoon…"<br>"Looks like he got into a fight."

The human group sits in their recreational room as they look out at Inuyasha who sits out on the engawa.

He sits cross-legged and with crossed arms, eyes closed and sword leaning on his shoulder.

Izayoi, "Inuyasha, you were with your father earlier weren't you? How is he, I haven't seen him all day…"

His ear twitches, "He was good in the morning…"  
>^^<em>"That is so adorable~!"^^<br>_"I'm not sure about later though…"

"Not sure about what?"

Inuyasha startles as he looks to see Taishō approaching.

_The hell? Where did Sessh_ō_maru's scent go? _He notices he's in a change of clothes and that his loose hair still looks a little wet. _He, he washed it off…?_

Inuyasha holds onto his sword as he gets on his feet, "Dad, about-"

"That's enough," he says as he crosses the threshold. He stops, turns to him, and gives a small sad smile, "I'm tired."

Inuyasha freezes. He could swear he looked a little older, more tired, just a few more lines around the eyes.

"I'm sorry," says Inuyasha quietly.

"Why don't you come inside with everybody else?"

"…Sure."

They're inside for awhile, barely are any of the others able to ask anything when the servant appears at the door.

"Inuyasha-Bōcchama," Muōka gives a deep bow, "I've come to deliver an official message from Lord Sesshōmaru Agekkōki, the 3rd Head of the Clan, master of all within the Red Borders of the West, and proprietor of The Splendid Estate, that in regards to…"

Taishō's eyes widened slowly but completely as the words of the message were spoken…

* * *

><p>He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much. He had never really cared for those formalities. It was all haughty nonsense for self-important nobles. But then why did, why did it feel like a stab in the back? Why was it upsetting him like this?<p>

Inuyasha raced toward Sesshōmaru's direction, "Damn it. Damn him…!"

~~Behind…~~

"Where are you going?"

Muōka, turned around, a hand on his stomach, one side of his cheek red and a stain of blood at the corner of his mouth, "After him. I should be there if I am needed, even it's only to pick up the young master off the ground. It's my obligation."

"Then we should go too!"

"Hmph, at the rate you move their quarrel will long have ended."

"Then," Kagome turns to Taishō, "please, let me go with you, Tō-san."

Taishō nods. She hops on his back but just before he leaves he looks back at Izayoi. We're going to see Sesshōmaru; you know your presence would only serve to aggravate him. She says nothing.

The three go after Inuyasha. As their running Taishō looks over at the young man who holds onto his own stomach.

"Can you go on?"

"I'm fine, Master. Besides," he places a hand on his chest, "I've dealt with worse."

^^ "Where the hell is he!" demanded Inuyasha after the message was delivered.

"You're a dog, Bōcchama, I'm confident that your nose is sharp enough to track him."

Inuyasha grabbed him by the shirt with such force that he threw him off balance but despite this he still quipped, "Don't blame the messenger, Bōcchama…"

"Just tell me which direction he's at – I'll track him from there." He clenched his other fist.

"My…" he narrowed his eyes, "you really are ill-mannered."

Inuyasha punched him causing Muōka to fall back onto the door with a crash!

"Where the hell is he?" Inuyasha approached him, ready with another fist but his father pulled him back – Inuyasha still managed a kick to Muōka's stomach.

"Inuyasha, that's enough!" barked his father as he shoved Inuyasha back, a sharp whack to the chest with the side of his hand.

"Nnnnn…" he clenched his gut as he tried to sit up right, "Now _that one_… was uncalled for…"

Inuyasha was growling.

He looked up at him with a bloodstained half-smile, "…Northeast, Bōcchama."

He stormed right out of there even as his mother and friends called for him to stop.

Taishō knelt down and helped him up, "I'm sorry he took it out on you…"

"It doesn't matter… He really has the temper, doesn't he?"

"And so does Sesshōmaru," Taishō replied regrettably.^^

* * *

><p>"There you are," says Sesshōmaru casually.<p>

"What the hell's the idea!" Inuyasha threw a hand in the air.

"To keep you in your place."

"You… you're really going to try to disown me…?"

"Hnph, I'm quite surprised that I didn't do so immediately after I became head of the clan honestly."

"What you said wasn't anything light! Threatening disownment, withholding me from receiving the name or inheriting anything – _forbidding_ me from ever being able to take on the name or setting foot here? You can't-"

"I can. I'm the only one who _can_ grant you the name and officially let you into the family, seeing as how everyone else is actually **dead** and has been for centuries."

"But they're here now…!"

"It doesn't matter." Sesshōmaru closes his eyes, a part regretting what will be, "Their resurrection is only temporary."  
>He opens them with firm look.<p>

Taishō, Kagome and Muōka come up from behind Inuyasha.

Sesshōmaru looks over at them, "Really Inuyasha? You hit the messenger? You're more immature than I thought."

"Oyaji, what Sesshōmaru says he'll do, can't you guys-?"

"They can try," Sesshōmaru answers. "But I can undo it when they leave. I doubt they'll be coming back after this."

Kagome takes hold of Inuyasha's arm.

"I hate you," Inuyasha flatly says to his brother.

"You behave, little brother," Sesshōmaru turns and begins to walk away. "Muōka."

"Yes, sir?"

"I won't be needing those drinks anymore; I feel much better now."

He nods. He looks on with a deep frown at the whole scene, Taishō next to him, "I never expected… so much misery… I expected a party when you all returned." He looks right at Taishō, "I'm so sorry."

"Don't be," he stares at Inuyasha.  
><em>What… happened between you two? Inuyasha's hostility toward Sesshōmaru… that has nothing to do with us, it can't, he didn't know… then what-<br>_^^_ "…for a jerk like you who fucking abandoned me!"_ ^^  
><em>Sesshōmaru… did you really…?<em>

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>


	11. Uru'ubii

***Uru-ubii**, _noun _[Japanese cognate: uro-oboe] – A faint memory; a hazy recollection.

* * *

><p><strong>May I ask, how long should the family be alive? It should be over month, but I don't want it to be over a year…<strong>

_Ugh, I keep writing too much. I mean that's quite a good thing but damn that means I keep having to push back stuff into later and later chapters, and adjusts things. Again. I wanted this one to have another scene but now it doesn't feel mood appropriate for how long this came out and just… I'm trying to not keep you waiting so here… Have this._

* * *

><p>I can barely remember when I first met him… or maybe they're just my earliest memories of him?<p>

The earliest memories I have of Sesshōmaru…

He just showed up one day.

I was bouncing a ball in the outer halls alone; it had been snowing. And I noticed someone standing there, by the edge of the trees. The reason it stopped me in my tracks was because, because he looked so _different_ from anyone I had ever seen before.

I was really small, probably Shippō's size.

I remember staring... I didn't know what to think, if he was good or bad. He had armor and a sword but he had hair and eyes the same color as mine.

I don't remember what he said – maybe he introduced himself? No, he didn't. Not yet, at least not who he really was… He probably didn't say much, but what I do remember is that he told me not tell my mother.

Then my mother came out looking for me.

"_Inuyasha, were you speaking to someone?"_

"_Hm?" he looked back to the edge of the trees. No one was there. "No, Mother."_

The next time he came… it was a year? Maybe two, three years later?

It was the same as before: he just showed up.

I… I was… happy to see him again. I don't know why.

_He began to run up to Sesshōmaru, "Hey, how are you?"_

"_Don't make so much noise."_

_Inuyasha stopped, only having closed the distance between them by half._

_He looked around, "They'll hear you."_

"_Sorry… so, how are you Mister?"_

"_You remember me?"_

_He nodded, "Um… excuse me but… uhm… you're… like me…?"_

I don't think I even really knew what I meant by that. He stared at me for awhile before he said anything.

"_You don't know?"_

_He turned away blushing and scratching the back of his head, "Well, everyone has dark hair but old people have light hair and and… I'm… and you… aren't old…"_

_Sesshōmaru turned away and began to walk._

"_Wait…!"_

But before I went after him I realized why he was leaving. I could hear someone coming.

"…_Bye…" Inuyasha waved._

_He was gone._

"_Inuyasha?"_

_He spinned around, "I-I saw something!"_

"_Then you better come inside."_

He came back months later; it hadn't been snowing that time. I don't know what got into him, but that time he walked right up to me.

_Sesshōmaru kneeled down to get a better look at him. He grabbed his ear. Inuyasha made a face but it wasn't long before he let go._

_Sesshōmaru only made a little 'hm.'_

He stared at me for a long time, kind of the way I stared at him I guess.

"_Do you know what makes us different from everyone else who lives here?"_

"_Huh?"_

"'_No' then… We have dog yōkai's blood."_

"_So you are like me!"_

"_Quiet. And no, I'm not. You're a half-demon; I'm a full-blooded demon."_

"_Half-demon…" Inuyasha looked at the ground, his ears drooping._

"_Do you understand what that means?"_

"_Uhm…"_

_He gave a light scoff, "It __means__ that you're neither demon nor human. You're half of both. And that's why they shun you."_

He said more after that. He explained what was different about me compared to everyone else. My appearance, that I would age slower than a human, that I would be stronger than a human, that I was more dangerous than one, that my senses were better…

"_Haven't you noticed that when you hear a noise outside, that your mother is oblivious to it? If there's a demon outside, you feel its presence, and __know__ it's not a mortal creature? Have you tried to tell your mother that something spelled pleasant, or that some perfume bothered you, but she didn't understand what you meant? No matter how hard you may try to explain it to her, she'll never be able to understand how you experience the world. None of them will. That's a fact."_

He left not long after.

I was a little relieved that he had told me, that he had explained everything, I finally understood, but at the same time… I didn't like that he had told me.

I couldn't help but notice the differences between myself and everyone else after that. I noticed it everywhere, including from my mother. I was different, in more ways than I had thought. I didn't belong there…

The next time he visited was when he finally told me who he was.

_Inuyasha was waiting, sitting on the veranda, as Sesshōmaru came into view._

"_Hey."_

"_How long have you been waiting?"_

"_Not too long. I caught your scent."_

I had gotten better at picking out scents, and everything else.

"_What do you know about your demon heritage?"_

_His ears stood up and he let out a sound resembling a squeak, "Uhm, m-my… M-Myōga… I…"_

It felt like he was testing me. I guess I didn't want it to be like last time when I didn't know – I wanted to look… not… not like some dumb kid. Sesshōmaru was… he looked like…  
>Damn.<p>

_He swallowed. He knew this one, why couldn't he spit it out?_

"_Great Dog General!"_

"…_What of him?"_

"_H-h-he was my father. But he's dead. Myōga says that he was really strong. And that his blood tasted delicious. And when I ask Mother about him she… she gets really sad…"_

I said a bit more about what I knew. It wasn't a lot to be honest. Just some… really basic stuff.

"_At least you know that much."_

_Little Inuyasha looked up at him and smiled because he didn't look disappointed._

_He kneeled down to be at eye level, "But you don't know anything else?"_

_He frowned, "N-nothing else that… that matters."_

_He breathed in and tried to say it but he couldn't get the words out, so he tried something else.  
>"…My name is Sesshōmaru, and… <em>_my__ father was the Great Dog General-"_

I knew right away what that meant. It was the first and only time that I hugged that bastard. I… I think I actually started to cry then. I was.

_Sesshōmaru was taken back by that pounce, the arms that had wrapped around his neck, and the ears and hair that bumped into his mouth._

"_Calm down," he grabbed Inuyasha's sides and firmly sat him down on the veranda._

_He sniffed, "I know you have to go now… someone's coming… I won't tell…" he looked up at him as he got up, and through a smile and tears, "Have a good day, Big Brother."_

That was the last time I saw him before Mother died.

A few days after she died I caught his scent nearby… I ran.

Now that I think about it, right when I caught sight of him… He looked angry for some reason, but back then I ignored it, I was just happy that he came.

"_Onii-san~!" his arms were outstretched to the young man that he now knew as his big brother._

He asked what I wanted. The way he said was so cold and rough.

_He stopped in front of him, starting to tear up, "M-Mother's… passed away and-"_

_He narrowed his eyes, "What do you want me to do about it?"_

_Dread spread across his face, "Aren't you here for me? You're my big brother-!"_

"_You're a filthy half-breed."_

_His hair stood upon hearing those words, but even still he reached up to him, crying, begging, "Onii-san, please!" but he was pushed away. "Don't do this! – you can't!" he kept trying to grab hold, desperately, his hands, his sleeves, his legs, until finally he was smacked to the ground. He turned around and walked away.  
>He picked himself off the ground, "Please… don't leave me all alone…"<em>

It hit me... Whenever he visited, yeah he had never raised his voice at me or hit me before, but he also never showed me any affection. He had never said anything to me that was actually nice, he never hugged me or called me his little brother. Just because he had bothered to talk to me, that he actually looked at me unlike the other villagers, just because I didn't directly see the disgust in his eyes those times – but I never saw any warmth in them either. Just because of that, just because of that…!

I was so desperate for someone – **anyone** – that I…

I had misunderstood his indifference for affection.

I set myself up. I was a dumb lonely kid when he literally walked out of the woods. I set myself up thinking he was friendly, that he would somehow protect me, he kinda looked the part… and then when he told me he was my big brother, keh, it was like something out of a story. Someone came to get me. I should've known better, that the world was a cruel place after all.

It was a long time until I saw him again.

I was wandering the forest and we came across each other. We stared for awhile.

At that moment I wanted… to ask him to take me in. He didn't have to show me affection; any company would be nice. He didn't even have to take care of me. I just wanted to travel close by, so that I could be safer. I didn't expect him to protect me, but I knew that his presence alone would prevent demons from coming near me. If I apologized, if I asked with respect, maybe even grovel if that was it took, maybe, please, could you let me travel with you? Just for awhile, until I'm strong enough to fend for myself? Please?

But when I opened my mouth, instead of saying any of that I—

"_I hate you, Sesshōmaru."_

He didn't even flinch. I think that's what made it worse. He didn't get mad. He didn't say it back. **He didn't care.**

"_What? Didn't you hear me? I said I hate you!" he clenched his fists and squeezed his eyes tight, "I hate you! I hate you! I HATE YOU!"_

"_And what are you going to do about that?"_

_When he opened his eyes and looked up to see Sesshōmaru right in front of him, he gasped and backed away, practically falling back._

I'll admit, he scared the crap out of me back then. Way back then I knew, even though I had never seen him fight, I knew he could do worse than any other demon out in those woods. And that's why I wanted to follow him; it's why I was scared of him.

"_Huh, you're nothing but talk. Pathetic." He walked away._

'Wait.' – That's all I needed to say to stop him, but the word was stuck in my throat.  
>'I'm sorry.' – I couldn't get that out of my mouth either.<p>

He was gone again. Why couldn't I do it? He didn't look upset this time. I could've, I could've asked…

Sometimes we'd catch each other's scent, but avoid crossing paths. Sometimes I would see him from afar, but he wouldn't look my way. He knew I was there. If I could see him, then he could definitely smell me. Sometimes I still wanted to ask, but I figured he'd say no after I yelled that I hated him like that, but sometimes things became too much, enough that I seriously considered getting on my hands and knees to apologize for what I said. But no matter how times I wanted to, I could never bring myself to do it.

And then one night, on the new moon, he came across me while I was in trouble.

"_I didn't think you could get any weaker. Seems I was wrong."_

_Inuyasha, appearing in his lower teens, was bleeding from his arm and side. Upon seeing Sesshōmaru the demon picked Inuyasha up, his arm locked around his neck, and grabbed the top of his hair with his other hand._

"_Wh-who are you? Are you here to save him? If you come any closer I'll snap his neck!" he tugged his head back._

"_My lord," asked Jaken, "do you know that human?"_

Jaken and Ah-Un were with him by then. He had also changed his clothes to the ones he has now.

"_It doesn't matter," he turned away._

_His eyes widened, but then he grimaced, "You're just gonna let me __**die-!**__"_

It was raining, and the night was hot… Yeah, that's what it was.

_The demon persisted, "You look like you have money. I'll let the kid go for a price!"_

"_He's worthless. Besides, the weak __should__ die."_

"_Sesshōmaru!"_

"_Let's go," he told Jaken and Ah-Un._

That demon let me go and went after Sesshōmaru, trying to stab him in the back. I'm not sure if it's because he didn't believe him, or maybe he thought he would be a better meal, or wanted to take his stuff. I don't know, I just know Sesshōmaru cut him in half.

_Inuyasha was lying in the mud bleeding, but his heartbeat shift and his hair began to lighten in color._

"_What on earth?" Jaken cried._

"_Hmph, you survived the night."_

_It was dark outside because of the storm, but behind the clouds that sun had risen._

"_Y-you bastard…" he was still on the ground, "You were really going to let me die…"_

"_Shut your mouth you… you… freak! Do you know who you're talking to?"_

"_Stains should be gotten rid of…"_

"_I'm a 'stain' huh?" he began to push himself up, "What're you then…?"_

_Sesshōmaru walked over and stepped on his head pushing him face down into the mud, "If you're going to talk big at least have the decency to __try__ to back it up."  
>He then grabbed his collar and picked him up off the ground, "You should show some more respect."<em>

It… scared me how easily he picked me up, like I didn't weigh a thing. I had actually never seen what he could do. Even so, I still spit at him. He let me go and kicked me in the face. I was out for awhile after that.

The next time I saw him, I tried to prove myself against him by backing up my 'big talk.'

_He charged at him, aiming toward his face, but Sesshōmaru caught him by the wrist. His claws sunk in burning his flesh as he gripped harder and harder._

_Inuyasha cringed._

"_Haven't you broken a bone before?" he asked as he narrowed his eyes._

_Inuyasha grabbed his wrist with his free hand and sunk in his own claws. Sesshōmaru didn't flinch; he punched him in the gut with his left fist then punched him in the face sending him flying._

_Inuyasha turned to his side gripping his hand in pain._

_Sesshōmaru looked at his wrist, "Tch, that's right, even children can scratch."_

And that's how things went. We barely saw each other, and when we did sometimes we'd ignore each other but sometimes I'd try to pick a fight.

In the end, we're still the same as before…

* * *

><p>Inuyasha groggily opened his eyes. He rubbed them as he looked around- <em>I haven't thought about that in a really long time…<em>

_DAY 9_

He had fallen asleep out on the veranda. He looked up – that brown-black tree had leaf buds and reddish flower buds, a handful were opening too.

_That smell…_

"Inuyasha?"

"Uh, hey Kagome."

"Inuyasha, is everything okay?"

"Um…" he raised a leg and rubbed the ball of wrist on his forehead, "Yeah, I just woke up… it was a long dream, that's all…"  
><em>That'd be nice, if it were all a dream…<em>

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Nah, I'll be fine." He looked back up at the branches.

"Huh? What're you looking at?" she craned her neck.

"It's the smell… it doesn't bother to be honest, it's kinda nice, but it's… I'm not sure..."

"Hm?" she sniffed the air, "I don't smell anything."

He twitched- ^^_"No matter how hard you may try to explain it to her, she'll never be able to understand... None of them will." _^^  
>He bit his lip- <em>Damn that bastard…!<em>

"Inuyasha…? About yesterday, is it still bothering you?"

He tries to force a smile, "I'm fine. Besides, I shouldn't be surprised. He's always been like that," he stopped. He felt his voice crack when he said that. Damn, hopefully she didn't—

She takes his hand, "You know it's okay to talk to me, I've told you that before."

He didn't really want to talk about it, but it was still weighing heavily on his mind, so just this – he laid his head on her shoulder, and she hugged him back.

"I was a dumb kid when I made expectations of him. I guess some part of me still hopes that one day he'll live up to those expectations…"

* * *

><p>Sesshōmaru stood looking out at the coming spring when Akiyo walked up from behind.<p>

"You're an awful big brother." He stood next to him, "I heard about what you did."

"And you were a good one?"

He inhaled, "I tried my best. That's all you can do: try. But it sounds like you didn't even bother."

No response.

"Come on, you don't have at least… one _okay_ memory of him? Something that made you feel… _okay_?"

^^_"Have a good day, Big Brother."_^^  
><em>Where did that come from?<br>_He scoffed, "You all came back at a bad time of the year."

"You mean the smell. It's relaxing isn't it? Relaxing enough that it starts loosening things, like stuff you have locked inside. Soon enough your body follows suit: it relaxes and you're able to sleep soundly, you start dreaming ve~ry clearly because the looser the locks become the more… memories escape, and those memories carry feelings with them, don't they? And that's what bothers you. You never did like _feeling_, huh Sesshōmaru?"

He clenches his fists, "Be quiet."

"Those feelings aren't always loveable however."

"…No wife or anything while we've been gone?" he looks at Sesshōmaru.

"Shut up."

"But you have a kid. Alright then."

Sesshōmaru walks away.

Akiyo's face gives way to a frown as he passes by- _So cold…_

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p>Such is the price of a story you've had play out in your brain over and over where it grows and grows… I'll explain more things as soon as I can where continuity and fluidity permit.<p>

But I'll get there, in steady 2,000-6,000 word chapter increments…


	12. Chimutui-gurishan

***chimu-tu·i-guri·shan**, _adjective_ – Hard to please.

* * *

><p><strong>TAKE <strong>_**THIS**_** SIX MONTH HIATUS**  
>*<em>THROWS NEW CHAPTER<em>*

* * *

><p><em>DAY 9<em>

~~The Afternoon~~

"A meal… for demons?" they asked.

"Yeah… apparently what they've been serving at mealtime isn't really what they'd normally eat," said Inuyasha to his companions.  
>"It's not that they don't like it, it's just that they're limiting what's being made for our sake."<p>

"And what counts as 'limited' Master Inuyasha?" asked Kohaku.

He shrugged, "Well serving demons I guess…"

Many of them narrowed their eyes.  
>"That's quite…" Miroku said.<br>"But they are demons…" added Sango.

Kagome put a hand to her chin, "Now that I think about it…" she thought back to when she and Inuyasha retrieved Tetsusaiga from Taishō's skeleton, "there were a lot of skulls and bones of demons inside Tō-san's stomach…"

Izayoi, "It's understandable when you are all in demon form but," she looks at Inuyasha, "when you are all in that smaller form… how…?"

"Oh, it's okay, Granny showed me the kitchen. They just cut up the demons and prepare them like you would any other animal. You wouldn't even be able to tell the difference once they're done with it."

Shippō stands up, "If you can't tell the difference, how do we know they haven't been serving us demons this _whole time_, huh?"

Miroku pats his head, "Now now Shippō, they wouldn't do so without asking us," he looks over at Inuyasha, "or would they?"

Inuyasha scoffs, "If they had been I woulda smelled it from the start!"

Shippō crosses his arms, "I dunno, Grandpa seems like the kinda guy who'd do that thing for fun. And so does your uncle. And your aunt…" his eyes shift to the lower corners, but then he pops back up, "And what if you _have_ known, huh? Your family seems pretty set on making you one of them…!"

"What the hell's that supposed to mean?"

"Mmnn, Inuyasha, are you sure that you'll be able to handle this 'demon feast'? You weren't exactly raised as a demon…" says Miroku with a touch of concern.

He looks away, "Yeah, I know… They told me about this the other day-" he scruffs his bangs, "-but with what happened yesterday and the night before with the new moon…" he changes the subject a bit.  
>"The other morning Granny let me try some stuff and go visit the kitchen so I could see everything for myself…"<p>

Kagome- _Oh, is that where he was that morning I found him with that drink?_

* * *

><p><em>~~Two Days Ago… DAY 7 ~~The morning<em>

Inuyasha stepped out of his room – he generally did rise right when the sun did after all. He stretched out but then his ear twitched and he turned around.

Peeking from around the corner, "Morning~" said Granny as she waved.

He lowered his arms and unsurely waved back, "…Morning."

"Are you free this morning?" she asked still around the corner.

"Um yeah, sure. D-do you guys have something planned?"

"In a way… yes. Would you care to come along – it's more a tour but it's prepping for something later…"

"Okay."

"That's good. I'll come back later; you should tell your wife that you'll be out." She retreated behind the corner and left.

Inuyasha looked at the sky as an eyebrow twitched- _I really don't know how to talk to them…_  
>There was this feeling that he should speak respectfully to them, especially since they were being legitimately polite and kind to him, but he wasn't used to speaking like that. He didn't have remotely enough practice with that kind of language. It was really dawning on him: he had no idea how to socialize, least of all to somebody of 'superior rank.'<br>_Maybe I should ask Miroku for help? He really has that polite and humble act down…_

He did go in and tell Kagome that he'd be out. A while later Granny came back.

"So where are we going?" he asked her.

"Uh well… to the…" Granny's eyes moved around searching for the word, "…farm."

Inuyasha stopped, "Farm?"

He was responded with quick nodding.

Inuyasha followed along and the two walked silently for a bit but he noticed that she would stare at him from time to time until finally she said, "The robe fits rather big on you doesn't it?"

"…Kinda." He grabbed the black string in front, "But this gathers it up."

She smiled slightly, "That's what it's for. I'm sure you'll grow into though; I'd say that your father and uncle and even Sesshōmaru were about your size back when they were your age. Mika is tall, so it was expected that the rest of you could grow up to be that tall."

Inuyasha tilted his head up and imagined himself standing as tall as Sesshōmaru, then as tall as their father… That wasn't a bad thought at all~

"Here we are."

There was a valley with some herds. The cattle were in their stalls, there were sheep and goats grazing and chickens pecking about, farther away were pens for pigs, and on way on the other side off in the distance were horses and, and… wait what the hell is that?

"Granny…" Inuyasha asked quietly as they took short brisk leaps down into the valley, "Wh-what's that near the horses?"

"Hm? Ohhhh, right I guess you wouldn't know what that is. They're camels."

A bird flew by as Inuyasha's ear twitched.

"The what's-it by the horses."

Tiny smiles from both.

They descended into the valley where the livestock roamed. Inuyasha was a tad impressed that _The_ Estate was large enough that there was a change in the terrain like this. He also noticed a lot of dogs wandering - no, they weren't wandering. They were quite calm around all the animals; they appeared to be holding a sense of duty. Some groups of animals were even being led somewhere else.

As they passed by he noticed a smell… He couldn't figure out what it was, but it was coming from the cattle. There was something… How strange. On this property was among the few occasions where he smelled something but was unable to identify it. Maybe it was because the masters were dogs themselves? –it seems they know how to distort and mask smells.

She took his arm, "Let's go to the Grand Kitchen~" she said with closed eyes and smiling.

The Grand Kitchen was truly deserving of the word 'grand.' It was in no exaggeration huge. The ceilings were tall to accommodate the demons of larger size – actually, now that he thought of it, every doorway in _The_ Estate was at minimum 6'5"… He hadn't needed to duck for a doorway once; most doorways humans built were a foot shorter. Well it made sense when compared to Gramps' height. Of course he wouldn't want to bump his head around his own property, so the minimum door height was built appropriately – *_bwoom!_*

It was… a cow. A whole cow. Thrown onto a griddle that was big enough for the whole thing.

Inuyasha looked up at a red ogre with a bandana around its head and wearing an apron.

"H-how did you make it that big…?"

"Grh? I didn't. That's the job of who raise 'em. Want me to make you one like this later?"

Inuyasha stared at it, "I'm… fine. No thanks." *sweatdrop*

There were many demons and a lot of food. It ranged from classic things like rice and fish, to more wildly odd things out of demons, to dishes he hadn't seen since childhood, and some even more elegant and extravagant. There were plenty of griddles, grills and hearths, knives – even saws to cut through large bones that came from monsters – and all the other utensils. There were also dishes that appeared mortal but were exotic – foreign dishes? Which also had their foreign utensils. It was all colorful and warm.

About half the stations were huge to fit whole animals or demons, like a whole shark. Someone else was chopping up a centipede demon and another was roasting what appeared to be legless chickens? A spider, as fat as a pig, was sizzling on a griddle when someone approached the cook, "Hey, don't leave it on for so long or else the abdomen's gonna-!" *_schplooph!_* "Gaah!"  
>Both ended up in spider guts, yet somehow Inuyasha still managed to swallow the free samples that everyone tried to shove into his mouth.<br>Over half of the stations were 'normal'-sized; there were even a few rows of mini-stations for imps and such.

He saw two little rodent-like creatures run up to a cook holding vegetables.  
>"Hey thanks you guys," the cook patted their heads. He noticed Inuyasha staring and smiled, "Wanna see a neat trick?"<p>

Inuyasha looked at Granny. She nodded. "Okay."

The cook stood up and walked over, "Clap your hands." The cook began to clap and so did Inuyasha, then he began to chant, "Haisai haitai~ haisai haitai~"

The little things stood straight and moved their arms side to side, it was like they were trying to hula.

They were funny-looking. About a food tall, they kind of looked like a weasel but were round like mice with stubby front arms, ears and tail; legs almost like a rabbit's; and big round black eyes that mostly faced forward; and chocolate-brown short fur.

Then the cook did one last big clap and the odd fellows raised up their arms to conclude the 'show.'  
>"Alright, you run off now, but come back for lunch 'kay?"<p>

They nodded and ran off on all fours. Inuyasha saw that they burrowed into the dirt.

"What are those?" He couldn't quite discern by their smell what kind of demon they were, which they probably were…

"We call them Little Scouts, but we don't really know what they are ourselves. They're fun little guys and really great at following orders though. If you ever need one, no matter where you are in _The_ Estate, just clap your hands and do the chant and one will bound to show up!" He nodded.

"Haisai…" Inuyasha mumbled.

"Haitai. Haisai haitai, those are the magic words, sir."

"Thanks."

They reached the back and entered through a few corridors into another room.

"Is your stomach well?" Granny asked.

"Yeah, I mean I don't even know what half of what I ate was but-"

"Some of it was demon."

Inuyasha gulped.

They sat by a table across from one another.

"You've never eaten that before, have you?"

He shook his head.

"…Did it taste well?"

A long blink. "Yeah," he responded quietly.

"Would you mind then… joining us for a feast for demons? Just us. No humans. What we've been having for our meals has been limited to what humans find acceptable and its that…"

"Do you all eat humans?"

Her eyes widened.

"I noticed from across the kitchen the-the smell of a human corpse… I'm sure I didn't but, I wasn't fed one right?"

"No. We didn't pass by that station."

"But do you-? Is this 'Demon Feast'-? because I can't. It may be because I'm half-human and that I was raised by one but I don't care why I just know I can't-!"

"You're right."

Inuyasha raised his head.

"You've been raised by humans, been among humans, outside of the yōkai world for too long _but_ being a part of that world doesn't mean that you have to eat humans!" She held her breath, "It's okay."

She squirmed uncomfortably for a moment, "We don't eat them. Well, I've never actually had any, but Mika – he said it was a really long time ago before he met me. He was young. He was starving and… it was an easy kill. He said that…he didn't like them. I think he tried to have one another time – for whatever reason, he didn't say – but that it was the same.  
>" 'Humans taste awful and I'm not feeding my kids that crap, besides do you know how many I'd need'ta kill so they'd grow up to be big and strong? They're all bones! It's such a pain to bite them. And their meat's all tough and flavorless.' – that's what he said."<p>

She was somewhere between trying to laugh it off and gut-wrenching worry. Granny glanced at Inuyasha but immediately looked away.

She was wringing her hands on her lap, "So we didn't feed your uncle, father or aunt any but I think Aki said that one time… It was with friends. He tried to have some – 'A lot of them seem to like it, how bad can it be?' is what he thought. When he tried it though, he spit it right out. He agreed with Mika about them being awful."

"And your father… He became friendly with humans very early on," a smile crossed her face, albeit a shaky one. "When he found out about Aki having eaten some, he scolded him. He was so tiny to already be so against the idea. And Miji, she was just never interested, especially with what Mika and Aki said."

She tried to look at Inuyasha again. He was staring with wide eyes. She exhaled, "Now Sesshōmaru…"

Inuyasha stiffened up.

"His… mother's side, they ate–eat humans." Granny straightened up, a hand to her mouth, but this time she seemed to be trying to stifle a laugh. "When we had our first dinner with them over there… and he saw what was on the plate," she inhaled. "Her father accused Mika of being soft for humans and that _that's_ where Roshi got it from. But Mika fired back that he didn't; he didn't especially care for them one way or the other but that he simply refused to ever eat _trash_ again."  
>She sniffed, "And I suppose that was the first thing he did that resulted in them… not liking him all that much."<p>

"And Sesshōmaru?"

"…Your father managed to convince your brother's mother to not feed him any humans for the first few years and… Well, Sesshōmaru… he somewhat preferred us to his other grandparents," she held back a smirk. "So he listened to Grandpa's lecture of the faults of human flesh. And marrow. And their liver. Well everything," she did a quick throw to the air with her hands.

"Then there was Aki's confirmation. And I think your father tried to get him to like humans as a whole, but I don't think that one got through to him. One day he was given some and spit it out too. I guess human is an acquired taste that you have to start out eating early and your father managed to hold him back long enough that he found it awful when he did try it. Eventually Sesshōmaru became of the mentality that humans were trash so why would he dare to lower himself to eating trash?"

Inuyasha loosened up. He was oddly relieved that Sesshōmaru didn't eat humans either.  
><em>At least something good came out of his attitude toward humans…<em>

Granny leaned in toward him, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah. It's a… relief really, that none of you eat humans. So in the kitchen-?"

"Those are usually criminals so don't feel too bad. It's a regulation that your father proposed. When he was four. Okay he didn't propose it it's more he ran to Mika crying that he wanted them to stop. But the reason it didn't was because Mika explained that some demons need to eat humans to be healthy, so it was limited to 'bad humans.'"

"But you said that it's _usually_ criminals."

"…And an occasional trespasser."

Inuyasha leaned back on his hands, "So Dad liked humans that early huh?"

"He had a little friend." **

Inuyahsa's ears perked.

"One day him and Aki were walking around in the forest here and they heard a scream… It was a little orphaned human boy. Roshi wanted to bring him home – he had always been friendly," she smiled bitter sweetly, "and Mika let it pass.  
>"He stayed here for a few years and then the day came when they dropped him off in a human village. It was a more natural place for him, but your father would always visit him. He did so throughout his life. That boy lived a long life. He saw him grow old… And he saw how quickly a human's life passed compared to his own. I think… that really stayed with him."<p>

Inuyasha thought of his human mother and friends. If he wasn't killed, then he'd be watching his friends grow old and die too… Fifty years ago Kaede was a child but when he woke from his slumber she was so old. It wouldn't be surprising if she passed away in her sleep. Admittedly, even if he had been awake during those 50 years, it still probably would've felt short, at least shorter than how a human felt time.

"Inuyasha?"

"Yeah?"

"You're father died when you were a newborn, right?"

"That's what they say."

"How long have you had that robe of the fire rat?"

"Oh, uh… as long as I can remember. Ofukuro gave it to me-" his eyes widened. "How did you know what it was, Granny?"

She closed her eyes in a smile, "Now where would your human mother have gotten something like that?"

She reached for his sleeve, "It looks well considering…" she took in a breath, "I made this to protect my youngest child. But I… I didn't finish it in time," her voice cracked.  
>"So it went to your father later on, when he decided he'd be joining an army. I guess he must've given it to her."<p>

Inuyasha's mouth parted. It wasn't just something his mother left him, his father left it to her and his mother to him. It was a family heirloom.

She took his sleeve with both hands, "Did you know a fire rat's fur isn't red?" She sniffed, "It's this ugly brown color, just as ugly as the rats themselves. They live in a place worse than Tōtōsai! It's awful… and dyeing it was almost impossible…"

^^_Grandpa was checking up on his wife's project. He opened the door, "How's it go-"  
>She rushed up to him and began to wildly pound her fists at him, "Mika it's not dyeing it's not dyeing!"<br>"—ing…!"  
>"It's not dyeing it's not dyeing!"<br>"Hey hey hey, cut that out you're getting dye all over my clothes!"_

_She stopped. She was almost crying in frustration, her hands red.  
>"How the hell's it not dyeing?"<br>She shook her head.  
>"Let me see…"<em>

_*Hours Later*_

_He flipped it, "How the hell's it not dyeing!" he cried as he jumped to his feet.  
>"Mika! The dye!"<br>"I'll buy more!"He passed a hand through his hair, "Now why in the-"  
>"Your hair!"<em>

"_Huh?" he was up to his elbows in red, and all over his clothes and now his hair albeit that was accidental. He turned and headed for the door, "Ill find a way." When he opened the door he declared, "I'll be damned if I let some dead rat's hide win!"_

"_Wait!" she got up running after him._ ^^

She let go of Inuyasha's sleeve, "It took a long time to gather enough rats for the cloth. I figure it'd need to be for someone who'd grow up to be tall." She smiled with wet eyelashes, "You still have a ways to go to fill it out…"

Inuyasha gave a half-smile, "I guess I do, but like you said I'll probably end up almost as tall as Dad right?"

"Mm-hm," she nodded. "That's what all these were for," she tugged at the diagonal black string at the front of his robe, "so that you could fit in it until that day came." She returned her hands to her lap.

"Obaba, thank you."

"Huh?"

"It's.. really helped me all my life. It's protected me and others. I don't think I would've gotten this far without it, so thank you."

Granny sat up. She seemed almost as if holding her breath - ^^ _"Anmaa, thank you very much. Honest."_ ^^  
>"…that's what it was for," she smiled.<p>

"I'd like to join you all for that feast."

"R-r-really?"

"Sure."

"Th-that's great," she did a quick wipe of her eyes with her sleeve. "I'll tell the others." She suddenly raised her head, "D-do you want bloody-honey milk before you go?"

"Buh-what?"

But he seemed to have forgotten what that night was for him… And with what happened the days after that the whole feast was postponed.

* * *

><p>~~Early Evening~~<p>

"Alright Inuyasha are you ready?"

Inuyasha nodded at his friends and mother.

"Hopefully it's not too weird," said Shippō.

*twitch* "Yeah, I hope the same…" Inuyasha said.

"Good luck and may you have a strong stomach," Miroku raised his hands in blessing.

~~At dnner~~

Inuyasha was at the table with his father, uncle, aunt and grandparents. Auntie was across from him. She half-rose, hands on the table, "Are you ready Inuyo-chan~?" Her eyes twinkled.

He didn't like the look on her face. It was worrying…

The plates began to arrive.

Alright, you can do this. Hm, not bad. Ah, delicious then – "What the hell's that?"  
>"Oh it's a _"<br>"A what? You eat that!"  
>"Goodness, don't be such a wuss."<br>"I'm not eating that..!"  
>"Oh come on..!"<br>"It's okay if you don't want any. This is just so you can try it."  
>"There's no 'trying' at feasts boy! Now come here!"<br>"What're you – gah! No no, I don't want any!"  
>"Grab his nose so he opens his mouth!"<br>"Got it!"  
>"What in the – stop that!"<br>"No, no! You can't make me-!"  
>"It's deep-fried. Don't worry~"<br>"I think I just saw it _twitch_!"  
>"That means it's fresh~!"<br>"Open your trap!"  
>"Aaahh!"<p>

~~Somewhere else…~~

Muōka opened a door.

"How's the feast going?" asked Sesshōmaru.

Rin and Jaken were by his side. There were empty dishes before them – they had just finished.

Muōka began to collect them, "It's going as expected. They're shoving food down his throat. I think I heard him scream something about 'it's still twitching.'"

"Good for him," commented Sesshōmaru flatly.

"Would you like anything else?"

"No, thanks."

"As you wish," he left.

"Lord Sesshōmaru, why aren't you at the feast?" Rin asked. She still had the flower in her ponytail.

No response.  
>"Maybe next time then?" she suggested.<p>

"…I've been to the feasts before. It's… right of them to teach him to eat like a demon."

Jaken and Rin looked at each other solemnly.

Jaken said, "I'm sure those are pleasant memories, eh m'lord?"

When he closed his eyes he saw all the times they ate together throughout the years.  
>He opened his eyes, "My grandparents were old when we had them. So my grandfather wasn't as 'active' as he's probably being with Inuyasha right now. But then, when I was Inuyasha's age…" Sesshōmaru lowered his gaze, "There were less people at the table. First my aunt, then grandparents, then my uncle... and my father."<br>Everyone faded from the table, one by one, until it was only Sesshōmaru.

"Then why don't you join them? The table's full again," said Rin.

"It's not that I don't want to, but I… can't. I just can't." Sesshōmaru shook his head slightly.

Jaken asked tentatively, "My lord… you aunt, I thought she died as a child, right?..how did you know her?"

Rin sat up straighter. She had been meaning to ask but she wasn't sure how, especially with that creepy response…  
>^^ <em>"It's a long story about playing god. Wanna hear?"<em> ^^  
>She shivered a touch.<p>

"She did die. She was Rin's age is what I've been told. But my grandfather had the desperate audacity to tread on the ground of the other side and bring her back. It had been centuries since her death when he did so, and he brought her back in a form that he imagined she would've looked like if she had never died. That's the Oba-chan I knew – grown. She looked quite… lovely grown, but her resurrection was only temporary. Much like theirs is now."

He paused. "I wonder if it was the same process? Oba-chan's body lasted centuries. It was perfect."

"So then, your family may live for a long time right?"  
>"That's great news, isn't it!"<br>Rin and Jaken stood up.

"No."

"Huh?" they both went.

"My grandfather said that he _felt_ that the bodies they were in wouldn't last long. He's the only one who knows what process he used to bring her back so it figures that he would be the one to know if those bodies had been brought back with the same process."

Sesshōmaru narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. How did he dare allow himself to even remotely, even if for the slightest moment, bring up such hope?

But Sesshōmaru's absence from the feast was noticed. It had been noted throughout all their meals, just as when he sat away in the corner.

Grandpa went up in private to Taishō. Couldn't he convince him to eat with them? He had always been a daddy's boy right? A threat? Something that resulted in more than him quietly being in the corner?

Taishō responded that he had already tried but that it simply didn't work out.

Granny went to Sesshōmaru, putting a bun into his hands as in the old days, and asked while wringing her fingers if maybe he could join them for a dessert feast.

It's hard to be bitter when eating sweets, right?

She mentioned some other things nervously but then Sesshōmaru said, "We're not like Chichi-ue and Akiyo."

She froze.

"There is no love between us."

She brought her hands to her chest, "I… I understand."

"…I'm sorry," with that he walked away.

It had become the arrangement that time spent with Inuyasha and time spent with Sesshōmaru had to be done so separately.

Akiyo once showed up to Inuyasha: he kneeled down and put his hand on his head to tell him that they'd be eating somewhere else. With Sesshōmaru.

Inuyasha looked away, "…That's okay. Next time then."

"Do you want to-?"

"You know he wouldn't want me there," he answered grimly.

Akiyo bowed his head, "I'm sorry." He left.

But the questions and pleas continued to sprinkle here and there. Why couldn't-? What if this? What if that? If such-?

Auntie asked Taishō why they couldn't be together. She like them both, but couldn't see them both at the same time.

Taishō knelt down and took her shoulders as she couldn't keep back the tears.

"Can't we make them happy Roshi-nii? Please…"

"I'm so sorry Miji…"

The separation forcibly became normal. It was uneasy, but there was some order. Some peace.

Akiyo and Taishō passed by each other. Their eyes looked sad. If to keep even this uneasy peace, certain things had to be kept quiet, then so be it. It was why Sesshōmaru himself also avoided saying anything – he wanted to keep this 'peace' too.

It all became normal. Eating with someone missing; washing off a certain someone's scent to see another; sitting across the room – normal.

All the humans saw this effort to keep that normalcy – it was the best that could be made of the situation – and did their best to uphold it as well. To not interfere. It was their family; they didn't want to agitate things for them any further.

Even the servants walked within the lines and within the protocols to keep things smooth and normal.

It all became normal, because they so desperately wanted to keep things together. Maybe it could last. Maybe things could get better. Maybe. But for now, they held on dearly to the normal.

And what could be more normal than a grandpa telling stories from years long ago passed?

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p>**If you're curious, and would like to read about the human Granny mentioned to Inuyasha and his interactions with a young Taishō, visit the side story – <strong>The Pup who would be General <strong>also by ALiC.P – _OUT NOW!_


	13. Nkashibanashi

I've returned. See?** I'm not abandoning this.**

Oh oh oh by the way! I've stared an** RP blog **on** tumblr for my OCs **by the url of** haisai-haitai  
><strong>Come visit us if you wish!

* * *

><p><strong>*Nkashi-banashi<strong>, _noun _[mukashibanashi] – An old tale; a legend; folklore; reminiscences.

* * *

><p><em>DAY 13<em>

Although spring was on its way, winter still tried to hold for a little longer. There had been a cold snap and temperatures were hovering around freezing.

Everyone, all the living humans and living demons, as well as the resurrected dead, were gathered in a room that was far indoors away from the doorways that led to the outside. Almost a den.

Sesshōmaru and Inuyasha were at opposite sides of the room. Taishō sat next to and patted a quivering bundle of blankets.  
>"I hate the cold I hate the cold I hate the cold so much," said a voice within the bundle.<br>"There there, Otō-sama, the cold will pass."

Apparently it was Grandpa, curled up in a ball, completely wrapped up in at least two blankets, "Not fast enough" replied the Grandpa-bundle.

"You really think it's that cold? I guess those old bones can't handle it, huh?" said Inuyasha.  
>Kagome elbowed him.<br>"Ow…"

Everyone else was wearing an extra robe over their shoulders, except for Inuyasha and Akiyo (who already always had on his mozzetta).

"Oh, Mika's always been sensitive to the cold. Don't mind him," Granny commented.

Taishō continued, "Now Otō-sama, why don't you get up and do something to warm yourself up?"

"I know! Let's set something on fire!" suggested Auntie as she leaped to her feet.

"Would that be allowed in here?" asked Miroku as he looked around the room.

The door opened and Muōka walked in holding a black box. He went to the center of the room, removed a square floor board that revealed a fireplace; opened the box and set a strange hedgehog-looking creature atop the ashes. It was pretty cute. He poked its softer belly – "Kweekwee~" it went then *pwoof* – it was ablaze.

"There," he gestured to the yōkai. "Clean fire. No smoke." *bow*

"It's a… fire yōkai?" asked Kohaku as he got near.  
>"Does the fire dim?" asked Sango.<p>

"It will, but you need merely to poke it again."

They stared. It was on fire, how-?  
>The servant presented a stick to Kohaku. He then gave the fire yōkai a piece of coal to chew on and set another five nearby, "If it kwees, give it one."<br>"Kwees?"  
>"It's the sound it makes." He got up with the box and left.<p>

"Is he always at the door?" asked Shippō.  
>"Yes," the servant replied.<p>

All decided to gather around it but Izayoi lamented that "I don't think we all fit around it."

The door opened again. He had two boxes this time and removed two squares, one in front right adjacent, and another farther back near Sesshōmaru. He set the yōkai down each time – *poke* *pwoof* "Kweee!" – and handed out coal. "Done," he left.

Everyone adjusted themselves properly around the three fires.  
>"What do you call these yōkai?"<br>"Fire Kwi," responded Granny.

Taishō placed a hand on the bundle, "Otō-sama… come on out of that…"  
>Nothing.<br>*sigh* Taishō looked around at everyone and then an idea struck him. "I know. How about you get up and tell a story? That should warm you up~"  
>"Go to hell I'm cold!"<p>

Jaken was sitting near the fire in the back with Rin, Kohaku, and Auntie, when he lifted his head in realization, "Wait…" He turned toward them and asked, "Excuse me… sir? Aren't you one of the original Sovereigns from the _*Satsuriku Jidai_?"

"Satsuriku…?" Kohaku asked.

Shippō, at the middle fire with Miroku, Sango, their children, Kilala and Granny, also looked up, "That's right, I guess you guys wouldn't know that story."  
>Sango looked at him, "Is it some manner of… demon tale?"<br>"Um yeah, kinda…"

Jaken added, "It's an ancient tale about the powerful yōkai who used to dominate the land. It was so long ago that it's almost a legend."

Akiyo, leaning on the wall across from the rear fire, commented, "Ah, I guess it was so long ago that you two forgot that this family was part of that story," he turned toward his father and brother, "And that Otō-sama here is one of the characters. Hear that Otō-sama? Your character is so shrouded in legend that it's been dissociated with the family name~"

The bundle stood– his right arm sweeping across as his blue bell-sleeve flapped dramatically– hand as though presenting the heavens! "The _*Time of Slaughter_ it is then!" Grandpa was still mostly wrapped in his blankets, now with only an arm and his face free.

Kagome squirmed, "That… that doesn't sound like the name of a fairy tale…"

"It isn't little girl! This happened." Grandpa looked at the tiny demons, "Let me tell you how it all truly went..."

Their eyes widened.

"Indeed, this is no fairy tale," he brought his arm down with fist up as he walked to the center of the front of the room, **"It is a history."** He turned toward his audience, "And not only a history of the participants, but of the _foundation_ of what they established!" He brought his arm down – all fingers pointed forward! "For were it not for the blood shed, then these kin of mine whom ye cherish – and all their finery – would not have been."

"Did you just slip into old-timey language, Ojiji?" asked Inuyasha.

"Silence. Besides, I know how to speak in a manner far older. I am sparing you."  
>The blanket slipped off his shoulder more. He turned away, leaned forward and moving with his shout, "I need the maaaaps!" He snapped his fingers as well.<p>

*bwoom* A door to his right opened and a servant set up an easel with papers.

He smacked his hand onto the page, which was covered by a black glove that reached his knuckles, "Here are the official maps of what belongs to this family." He turned the page and pointed, "Our land is within the Red Borders."

"That much?" was gasped.  
>"But what are those other borders?"<p>

"Those are the borders of today, but ages ago…" He turned the pages, "The borders were, if only somewhat, different." He looked once more at everyone.

"In what by now was over a millennium and a many scores ago, tremendous havoc was wreaked across all this land to claim it." He indicated on the map to what is now called the southern tip of Hokkaidō and slid his hand down to what is now called Kyūshū. "The horror and destruction brought was such that this era became known as The Time of Slaughter…"

"Here, in the Land of Wō* and far beyond, something… broke out. No one knows why or even how it all began; no one knows who, if anyone, started it… but yōkai were dying. They were killing each other. First it was the minor ones," he took a firm step forward- a *clack*- he was apparently still wearing shoes- "then it spread," another firm step- a *clack*- "and escalated."  
>Another *clack*<br>[*Wō= old name for Japan by the Chinese]

Izayoi turned to Taishō, "A demon war broke out then?"

"No, child."

She startled when she realized Grandpa heard her.

"This was no **war.** These were no battles fought with blades or alliances – not for honor or prestige or wealth. These were gory melees to live! You fought only for yourself by yourself with nothing but your fangs and claws!" He swept his arm to the side, claws extending, "There was no mercy or surrender. The fight would not end until you tore your opponent's throat." His claws cracked, "If you had no claws or fangs then you snapped their spines!"

Taishō looked over at Inuyasha. He was in his dog-crouching position, eyes wide and ears perked. This was a new experience for him, wasn't it? Taishō smiled. Hopefully he enjoyed it: having grandpa tell him a story.

Grandpa walked to the left, "It was dubbed the Time of _Slaughter_ for a reason. Everyone fought at first and the weak were slaughtered. The tier of the demons remaining became higher and higher."  
>He spun on his heel and walked to the right, "There was no avoiding participation. Even if you did not want to fight if it was known you had the slightest of power they would come and find you; they would drag you from the cave you hid in" – he lifted his hand above his head – "raise their talons" – claws cracked – "and strike!" – he brought down his hand powerfully tips of claws near touching the floor!<p>

There was a small and quick upward snap of his head, enough to see a flaring glower from under lowered brows, "They would not yield 'til one of you was dead."

Shippō scooted over, eyes round beyond reason, "Granny, hold me…"  
>The children hid behind their parents, and their parents were closer, and Kilala as well. Jaken, Rin and Kohaku huddled closer together and as a group scooted over slightly closer to Sesshōmaru. Kagome and Izayoi held on to Inuyasha's and Taishō's sleeves. And the Fire Kwis were no longer on their backs but instead now seated, eating their coal almost absently, eyes huge and focused to the front.<p>

He stood, "In those times, the humans of this land were barely scrounging any shadow of civilization – I don't think they were growing rice yet… Or at least not... _well?_ Certainly not on the scale today." He shrugged, "Well no matter, point being that the people here were far behind the mortals across the sea by about… 2,000 years."

He focused on Kagome and Miroku, "If you could barely grow rice and could not read, then there were certainly none of _you_, at least not of sufficient caliber to interfere in any significant way."

He exhaled…

_Iron Age Japan_

_The serene blue sky was marred by encroaching black and purple clouds; the routine sounds of nature silenced by a startling howl…_

_Jagged fangs sank into and crunched – shearing off a chunk of hide and flesh!_

_The black bear, the size of a house, stood on its hind legs raising its fore legs at the snarling badger before him. The fur of both beasts was stained and both had gashes along their bodies; the bear was missing its ear, a long tear running down the side of its head; near its spine, the badger's ribs had been exposed._

_They lunged at each other and were briefly both standing, claws deep into the shoulder of the other, their jaws snapping trying to bite into the other's neck! But the black bear pushed forward making the badger fall. The badger rolled over to try to get away but the black bear bit one of its hind legs and dragged it back closer…! It then pounced on top, cracking the badgers back – it screamed. And then the black bear bit down on the badger's throat and tore it out completely..!_

Grandpa looked over at the others, "The land claimed was seized from demons of notice that were slain; if you were killed then the land you had taken was theirs, but a portion of it could always be ripped out from your grasp!" His swiped off the blankets with a sweep of his arm, the blankets landing in the corner with a thump!

The blue outfit he was wearing was fitted around the shoulders and torso; high-collar; tied by elaborate Chinese knots; blue and white borders; and it was long, flowing down to almost his knees, but open from the waist down. He had on dark blue hakama and was indeed wearing low-heeled black boots.

He looked at Shippō and Jaken, "I have first-hand accounts besides my own from other survivors…"

They gulped.

_The black bear had wandered away from the scene of its grizzly battle. It had been a few days since then and it was keeping an eye on its new terrain. Its remaining ear twitched and its head followed the direction of a low and deep growl. It was coming from the forest but it saw nothing. Surely, whatever was making that noise was smaller than the black bear and hiding in the trees…_

_And all at once the black bear felt a weight all over its body and a fear that raised all its fur. A demonic aura erupted from the direction of the growl – a light–!_

"Yōkai native to these lands were not the only ones to participate. A few, but one in particular, were from across the sea and saw this as an opportunity…"

_The trees snapped and bent_—_!  
><em>—Grandpa threw a firm arm with closed fist as if knocking something aside as he stepped forward, "The Tiger broke through the forest–!" raising his hands above his head, fingers curling inwards and nails shining, "–with claws extended, ready to knock off its head with a swipe of its paw!" He suddenly took quick short steps backwards, "–but the black bear managed to dodge..!"

Grandpa half-assumed an alert and defensive stance, his eyes slowly making contact with everyone, "The Tiger said that the black bear stood on its hind legs, growling, and gave him a good look up and down…"

_The Tiger was more than twice the size of the black bear. The growls that came forth from the tiger were such that it even rattled the black bear's bones… _

"The Tiger began to circle," Grandpa walked a little, somewhat hunched with his shoulders raised and eyes kept to the audience.

_The black bear returned to all fours and kept weary… They kept their eyes locked on one another and  
><em>"then—" *stomp stomp* he stepped forward with one arm sweeping in "—The Tiger's claw bent the foreleg back, tripping the black bear—" his other arm came down "—whilst he pushed it closer to the ground, claws deep into its back, he held him down—"  
><em>And The Tiger bit down on its neck, crushing the bones and tearing into blood vessels. The Tiger held its grip, adjusting its jaws side to side and biting down harder until it was sure the other wad dead. It released its grip, raised its nose up to the sky and <strong>roared.<strong>_

"Whenever an opponent was killed, the victor would raise their head to heaven and roar or cry or scream as loud as they could muster to announce that they had won – to let all near know what they had done."

"You've been referring to this tiger with some reverence…" commented Miroku.

"Of course I have, he was one of the 'winners' after all… A _*Ruler_…"

Grandpa rested his arms to his sides and stood properly, "The Tiger was already from wealth, but he wanted land that he would not need to negotiate and politicize his way through or have to gather an army for. But there were others who had not even a cent to their name and saw this as an opportunity to claim land; to _become_ acknowledged and feared rulers…"

One of the doors to the inside was partially open and through it the current and former Head Servants, and some others, were listening to the story too.

Grandpa grinned, "At times fights seemed strange, lopsided, and a certain outcome was expected… And sometimes they seemed inevitable."

_Jaws tore through bone and hide, cracking them with its fangs. Its muzzle searched the abdominal cavity and grabbed at organs, pulling them out and devouring them. But then the beast raised its head over the body of its fallen opponent and standing before it was a wolf…_

"After you announced your victory it was fine to go ahead and eat the loser's carcass…" he saw some of them flinch. "Fighting to the death can make one peckish and…" he shook his head lightly, "why not? meat was before you. However it was a formality that you couldn't ambush someone whilst they ate. It was rude. That said, you could walk up to them, show your interest for a fight and wait until they finished. Or establish that you would return later to fight. Yet there were instances of one stealing another's meal… I heard some fights broke out over that…"

_The winner of this fight, the one feasting on the loser's body, was a dog. His white fur was dusted by dirt and drenched in blood at the forelegs and muzzle._

_The two canines glared at each other, both giving low growls, and then The Wolf_—  
>"—dared to try to snatch my victory from right under me!<p>

_The Dog swiped The Wolf's foreleg-!  
><em>Grandpa dropped to a knee, an arm with bent fingers swiping across! "The Wolf recovered his balance-!" He jumped back to his feet, taking a bouncing step backwards like a dodging boxer and raised his fists before him in a similar style…

_The canines charged again, catching one another in an embrace, paws at each others shoulders. The Wolf bit into The Dog's shoulder but instead of pulling back from the pain The Dog stepped forward! The Dog reached his muzzle behind The Wolf's head and then with a sharp movement of his neck bit into The Wolf's scruff!_

_The Dog firmly planted his hind legs into the ground, bit hard at the excess flesh, and tossed The Wolf onto his side! He yelped and The Dog raised his forelegs above the fallen canine ready to claw out his throat and belly but The Wolf reacted quickly and tackled The Dog from underneath! The Dog rolled away but stood again ready for the next attack…!_

"So the rivalry between dogs and wolves has been going on for thousands of years?" asked Miroku.

Grandpa stopped and planted a hand on his hip, "Please don't say thousands; I'm no Tōtōsai. But essentially. Well… before this there was just agitation between the two, but it's possible that his fight created lingering… resentment."

Everyone cocked their heads in curiosity.

_The demon canines had fought viciously, tearing and biting, and The Dog was still tired from his previous fight…  
>They growled, circling each other, eyeing each other, watching for a sign of the next move, ready to react…<br>_"I ripped that bastard's eye out!" Grandpa raised his arm before his body and flicked it out to the side with a dramatic flair! He laughed triumphantly.

"And then what happened? Did you kill him?" asked Inuyasha who was leaning forward.

Taishō glanced at Inuyasha again. His other grandfather likely didn't interact much with him, did he? Let alone something like this. He glanced at Sesshōmaru as well. He may have heard this story before, but not like this with Grandpa so able-bodied; he was as focused on the story as the little group around him.

Grandpa stood firmly, feet apart, "This was one of the few instances where a fight didn't end in death." He crossed his arms, a wide smirk on his face, "I left The Wolf like that! …I don't think I was ever forgiven for that humiliation~"

Grandpa placed his hands on his lower back and leaned forward, "So it may very well be my fault that we don't get along. **Maybe.**" He leaned back, "But it's not my fault that they haven't let it go—_ah haaah!_" Now straightening up again, "But there were more fights than these…" he paced across the room, raising his knees high with each tip-toeing step, arms crossed over his chest, a hand on his chin with a finger on his bottom lip.

He spun quickly to continue his pacing and repeated it, "There were battles that seemed inevitable – classic if you will – but then at times the most _unexpected_ of clashes occurred. If one had heard from their 'little bird' you wouldn't be blamed for tossing it aside as nonsense. Ladies and gentlemen, I assure you that all I say is fact! First-hand accounts from witnesses and even from the very ones who fought!" He stopped pacing and raised a hand to the ceiling, palm up, "On one such curious day around the lands of *Saikaidō and Nankaidō, such the peculiar case arose…"  
>[*Kyūshū and Shikoku, respectively]<p>

Grandpa did a three-quarter twirl and stretched out an arm at a 45 degree angle, fingers straight, "One of the Kings of the Land—!" he turned his head to look at the wall behind himself, the leg closest to that side sliding out toward it as his other leg bent. He outstretched another arm at a down facing 45 degree angle, "—versus a King of the Sea."

He titled his head back, "The Tiger versus…" his eyes looked at his audience, "The Orca, the Killer Whale – the 'tiger of the ocean'…"

"How the hell!?"  
>"Seriously?"<br>"But how…!?"

Grandpa smoothly straightened his limbs and stood tall again. He closed his eyes and gave a faint smile as he looked up and sighed, "The Orca… I should tell you a bit about how that worked huh?"

* * *

><p><em>To be continued…<em>

* * *

><p><strong>I swear there's a point to Grandpa telling this story.<strong>

It's just I have so much more to write – I knew it'd be lengthy but since I've been gone for so long I also wanted to give you something to read. I really want this Nkashibanashi chapter to end in a particular way (for dramatic effect!) so I'm going to split it into 2 parts/chapters… and that part 2 will be long… oh god it better not turn into a part 3…

This was… difficult. _I_'m telling you the story via flashbacks, _Grandpa_ is telling you the story with his descriptions, but then I also have to tell you _how he's telling the story_…

Hell even Grandpa's outfit was to give dramatic effect to the storytelling. The flowing sleeves and 'coattails' and the clack of his boots and the usage of his claws—it's all for telling the story o.o

* * *

><p>*<em>Ruler<em>= I think in the "Japanese" Grandpa has been affixing "ou" to those he addresses as The (Animal), as in 'king, sovereign, ruler' but he's also not saying "ou" he's using the _old pronunciation_ of "wau." There's a reason I'm not having him say Tiger King and so on, and he'll explain later.  
>Furthermore Japanese lacks a "the" but in English calling something "The (Name)" tends to denote importancerespect/coolness like The Rock or The Terminator or The Boulder you know? I'm playing with that I guess…


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